


Homestuck: Save Alternia

by iHateFridays



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fanfiction, Gen, Homestuck - Freeform, OC, OC Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 13:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 30,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13718655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iHateFridays/pseuds/iHateFridays
Summary: Alternia is in ruins and the empress is gone. Everyone but three young trolls have gone mad. Can these three young trolls, with the help of an alien friend, save their planet? [AU] [OC story] [Just plain terrible cover: http://fav.me/dc3hl60]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Howdy! So I finally released a fanfic for this amazing web comic... I'm very late to this fandom, aren't I. XD
> 
> This chapter is introducing one of our four main characters, so sorry if it's a little boring. It'll get more exciting, I promise.
> 
> And yeah, there are no canon characters in here aside from the Condesce. It doesn't exactly focus on Sburb, more on fantrolls and lore and stuff.
> 
> If you want to see the full cover, it's on my deviantART iHateFridays. As well as other fanart things!
> 
> Happy reading folks! :)

Why, who's this young lady?

Fanfic reader: Be Celena

Your name is Celena Delros. You are 6 solar sweeps old. You are a troll that lives on Alternia (obviously). For the most part, you are a simple rust-blood with a simple life.

You like to wear soft and comfy clothes, as well as a pair of glasses. Anything that offers protection works for you. Especially sweaters and beanies. Though because of your large horns, hats are a bit annoying to wear. Right now you are wearing a black sweater with your symbol, long, grey pants and your regular glasses. Your long hair is behind your shoulders.

You have a variety of simple interests as well. You have an interest in drawing, though you are far too self conscious to flaunt or even show your close friends your artwork. Some of your best drawings are on your wall.

You also love to watch a variety of movies. You aren't fussy about what genre it is. You'll watch anything. Even the scariest of horror flicks. Though they usually make your skin crawl. Yuck.

You don't like venturing outside much. You'd rather stay inside with your lusus, artwork and a selection of movies. Occasionally you'll troll your friends, but even that makes you nervous. Everything makes you nervous. Everyone aside from you and your two friends are extremely malevolent and out of control. You know this happened after the empress disappeared. You and your friends want to do something, but you're not sure what. You sigh. You just want to give up.

You observe your lusus, who is sleeping in the corner of your room. Despite everything, she seems peaceful. This at least can put a small smile on your face.

You think about your small amount of friends. One of them who isn't even a troll. You care deeply about all three of your friends, even if most of the time you are too scared to open up to them about anything. Sometimes you wish you were the only troll left. That would make it easier.

Celena: Troll Rozark

You decide to pester your friend Rozark. She scares you quite a lot, but at least she's not insane. And she has her moments. You hope she's still alright.

currentlyTrash [CT] began trolling deathlyRider [DR]

CT: hey R0zark, are Y0u 0kay?

DR: whaddya mean

CT: I mean… are Y0u still y0u?

DR: of course dude i mean if i wasnt i wouldnt have answered would i

CT: 0h thank G00dness… I was Very w0rried.

DR: i could tell

DR: there is not a time where you aint worrying cel

DR: but hey glad youre concerned

DR: some people are still alrighty

DR: pretty sure anyway

DR: spoke to zar before

DR: hes cool i think

CT: phew! I was W0rrying ab0ut Him t00.

DR: what about your alien buddy

DR: hows he goin

CT: I haven't Sp0ken t0 him Yet. But I will s00n!

DR: yeah you should

DR: seems like you two are gettin on pretty well eh

DR: wonder if there are some flushed feelings there z;)

CT: Uh…

DR: heh heh

DR: anyway so i was just thinkin bout something

DR: think i finally got an idea bout how to end this all

DR: you me and zar and his crazy tech right

DR: we form an army and then like

DR: take over the planet

DR: good idea yeah

CT: …..

DR: you cant disagree cel

DR: weve got no other option lets be realistic

DR: you me and zar

DR: well be the new rulers of this trash heap

CT: … Did Zarkal Agree t0 this?

DR: havent spoken to him yet

DR: yknow what hes like

DR: but i know youll agree

DR: youre way too soft to say no admit it

CT: I… i…

DR: told ya so

CT: But… I… I d0n't think I Can be…

DR: what

DR: spit it out

CT: I... I Have to g0…

currentlyTrash [CT] ceased trolling deadlyRider [DR]

Celena: Panic

You are very afraid. There is no way you can take over the planet, no way at all. You can barely muster up the courage to speak to someone else, let alone command them. No way. And besides, too many trolls would get hurt because of you… and you've hurt enough people already.

Celena: Troll Zarkal

You decide to troll your second friend Zarkal instead. He scares you less than Rozark. Though he's not always the most understanding. Oh well. Considering how messed up Rozark is, you'll take it.

currentlyTrash [CT] began trolling pythagorasGripX [PG]

CT: Hey Zarkal! are y0u 0kay?

PG: xSalutations, I Am Well.x

PG: xAt Least, What Is Currently Considered Well In Our Situation.x

CT: 0h phew! Well, I've g0t a l0t t0 Say. R0zark wants Y0u, me and Herself t0... take 0ver The planet!

PG: xShe Does? Hmm...x

CT: I d0n't like This idea Zarkal… it's t00 risky And pe0ple will Get hurt!

PG: xChances Are It Could Go Horribly Wrong...x

PG: xOr It Will Turn Out Successfully.x

PG: xBut Violence Is Not Uncommon Here Celena.x

PG: xIt Is Inevitable.x

CT: yeah But… I can't Stand the th0ught 0f C0mmanding 0thers. ):(

CT: d0 y0u Think it's A g00d idea?

PG: xSince There Is A Very Low Chance The Empress Will Return...x

PG: xIt May Be Our Only Hope.x

PG: xSo I Must Agree That Despite Her Arrogance And Impulsiveness...x

PG: xRozark Has The Right Idea.x

CT: ):(

CT: I have T0 g0.

currentlyTrash [CT] ceased trolling pythagorasGripX [PG]

Celena: Troll June

There is one other person you can message who may be kind enough to take your side, even if he is an alien. He is your closest friend after all. His name is June. You met him when you accidentally messaged him instead of Rozark when you first got Trollian. Since then, the two of you had become good friends. Let's hope he will support you if no one else will.

currentlyTrash [CT] began trolling summersWinter [SW]

CT: June!

SW: Hi Celena! How's it happening over there in Alternia?

CT: well… n0t t00 G00d.

CT: my Friends want t0 Take 0ver the Planet and Rule 0ver it and Stuff. It's Scaring me.

CT: There's n0 Way I C0uld c0mmand any0ne.

CT: But My friends said There is n0 0ther 0pti0n. :(

CT: 0ur empress wasn't the Kindest but I H0nestly wish She was here.

CT: Maybe it W0uldn't suck s0 much.

CT: Life C0uld just be n0rmal.

CT: But she's been G0ne f0r a L0ng time. I believe Bef0re I was Even a wriggler!

CT: There's Been n0 sight 0f her Anywhere. There really Is n0 ch0ice, is There?

CT: ):(

CT: I sh0uld St0p my rambling. you Must be ann0yed.

SW: Not at all! I actually have an idea myself. Forgive me in advance, I don't know as much about troll culture as you.

SW: I was thinking… what if instead of taking the planet for yourself, you search for that empress? No one ever said she's dead, right?

CT: but…

SW: That's it! Search for the empress, bring her back, and peace will be restored! Easy peasy.

CT: but… June… It's… well, it's n0t That easy. It's Hard en0ugh t0 casually g0 0utside. I Can't deal with Th0se crazy guys 0ut There. ):(

SW: Don't be afraid Celena! I know you can do it!

CT: And sec0ndly… we've already Searched (s0mewhat). She's n0where.

SW: Well, search a little harder. Get all your friends together. Go and find her! I'm sure she's somewhere out there. Search the whole darn planet if you have to!

SW: You guys are the only hope for your species!

CT: ... But What if we never Find her?

SW: I'm sure you will! Don't be so negative. :D

CT: 0kay… thanks June. I'll… keep that in Mind.

currentlyTrash ceased trolling summersWinter.

Celena: Think

If only you could be as outgoing as your friends… then maybe things might be okay. But that's just not you. You were never that kind of troll. And you never will be.

Maybe it's because you were never like the other trolls? You were always far too sensitive for your own good. Too shut down and insecure. Especially since you are at the bottom of the hemospectrum. You wonder… maybe finding the empress will be a good idea. Perhaps you can bring yourself some glory and fame. For once in yourself you can be something special. That almost make


	2. Celena: Be Rozark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know this is a short chap but hey, it gets better, I promise. Just stick around a little longer. :D

Celena: Be Rozark

You are now Rozark Floroa. Like Celena, you are 6 solar sweeps old. You also live on Alternia. For the most part, you're a simple jade blood. You've got messy black hair that reaches just above your shoulders. You're wearing a black tank with your symbol and grey shorts. Your horns are like lightning bolts coming out of your head.

Much like your rust-blooded friend, you have a variety of interests.

You class yourself as a rebel. You are always out there to go against the rules, live life the way you want to live it. You don't care who is what blood colour, you'll treat them however you want. That's why you've always got a pair of rollerblades lying around. You'll speed through life, like a lighting bolt.

Though not everyone knows it (and by everyone you mean your two friends), you are also a comic geek. You could spend hours upon hours reading comics. This obsession you keep to yourself, however, as you feel it clashes with your rebel streak. You wish your lusus was more like you. She's just a wimp that hides in your closet most of the time. How annoying.

Recently, you've been thinking quite a lot. You're sick of the world and how lifeless and empty it is. And you're sick of being chased by gangs of trolls whenever you go outside. This is why you've decided you're taking charge of the planet. Then the trolls will be running from you.

It seems Celena does not agree with your plan, but knowing her, she will cave in eventually. Zarkal may be a little harder to convince, but you'll get around to him too.

Speak of the devil, Zarkal is pestering you right now. You grin. This is a good chance to talk to him about your plan.

Rozark: Answer Zarkal

pythagorasGripX [PG] began trolling dealthyRider [DR]

PG: xSo, Celena Tells Me You Have A Plan To Rule Over Alternia.x

DR: yep

DR: you me and her

DR: well take over this dump

DR: be like

DR: the three new bosses

DR: hella cool right

PG: xIt Seems To Be Our Only Option If We Want Any Sort Of Peace.x

DR: i know right

DR: tried to tell celena but she was being sensitive as usual

DR: but shell cave in eventually

DR: knowing her

PG: xWell, That Is True. But We Will Need To Do A Lot Of Planning.x

PG: xI May Be Required To Use My Robots.x

DR: probs will dude

DR: you and cel should get over here as soon as ya can

DR: the sooner we take over this dump the better

PG: xI Should Probably Use My Transportalizer.x

DR: do that then

PG: xI Will Be There In Some Amount Of Time.x

DR: ill go hit up cel

DR: later dork

dealthyRider [DR] ceased trolling pythagorasGripX [PG]

Rozark: Pester Celena

You decide to pester Celena. You know how much she hates going outside because of the others, but you'll manage to convince her soon the others will be scared to go outside because of her. You smirk. What a brilliant plan.

dealthyRider [DR] began trolling currentlyTrash [CT]

DR: hey cel

DR: i know you hate this plan and all

DR: but seriously

DR: its gonna work

DR: so yeah

DR: get your butt over to mine

DR: run if you have to

DR: zars gonna be there

DR: got some robots and stuff

DR: itll be hella cool

DR: so hurry up

DR: weve got a lot of planning to do

DR: …

DR: you there

DR: hello

DR: cmon dude i need your response

DR: …

DR: are you still angry with me

DR: look im sorry

DR: but this is the only way

DR: …

DR: cel please

DR: say something

DR: anything

DR: i dont care if its negative

DR: im worried that youre dead or something

DR: …

DR: z:(

CT: Hell0.

DR: oh you're alive

DR: thank the signless

DR: i was almost about to use proper punctuation

DR: see if that would get you online

DR: but seriously

DR: always answer me as soon as you can

DR: i get scared yeah

CT: I was Just thinking ab0ut what I Wanted t0 say.

DR: took you awhile darnit

CT: S0rry!

CT: I actually have An0ther idea Ab0ut h0w t0 save Alternia!

DR: whats that

CR: June gave Me the idea. He said We c0uld search f0r 0ur Empress!

DR: what

CT: Yeah! She's the 0nly 0ne Wh0 can bring 0rder, after all.

CR: i'll explain It t0 y0u when I get There! Bye, R0zark!

currentlyTrash [CT] ceased pestering deadlyRider [DR]

Rozark: Think

You blink your eyes in confusion. Celena's got a new plan? And that alien boy gave it to her… June. You pout. It seems she prefers advice from her alien friend rather than from people of her own species. She really does have flushed feelings for him.

But you don't care right now. You're curious. You wonder how effective that plan will be. Will it be better than yours? You're not sure. But you want to find out. Anything to save your home planet.


	3. Rozark: Be Zarkal

Rozark: Be Zarkal

Ah, it seems we're this handsome young fellow now. You already know his name. And based on previous events, you should already know his age and origin.

You, now being Zarkal, wear a black sweater with your symbol and light grey pants, not unlike Celena. Your short black hair covers your eyes. One of your horns is split at the top, making a shape with two rods. The other is like a dagger, pointed backwards.

You, admittedly, are a huge DORK. You have a huge robot army in your basement. You built the bots yourself. You're very proud of them.

As mentioned before, you love technology. You love to invent and sketch and draw and create. You've created so many things, such as a transportalizer. You use this whenever you need to go somewhere so you don't run into any unwanted guests. As a backup, you can leave the house with your robot army. That'll scare the others off. They won't go near your bots.

When it comes to social situations, however, you aren't so talented. You only have two friends, but most of the time you don't know how to talk to them. Unless you're explaining your tech. Aside from that, you're clueless. And talking makes you very jumpy anyway. Being social… you don't like to think about it. Anything with the word 'social' brings chills to your spine. So you try to avoid those kind of things as much as you can. [A/N: Sounds like me. XD]

But it seems you will have to be speaking to a lot of people soon. No. Commanding. Commanding a lot of others soon. The thought of that… you can't say you're not empathetic about Celena. But whilst she just feels bad for the trolls, you merely feel bad for yourself. There's no way you'll be able to command anyone. None at all. But you'll put up with it for now. What else can you do?

Zarkal: Prepare bots

You head down to your basement to prepare your army of robots. They are everywhere, their grey, metallic bodies shimmering. They make you so proud. You hope you won't lose any while conquering the planet. That would stink.

You pull out your remote. You press the big red button in the middle, activating the robots. They turn on, eyes flashing. You hold back a fangirl squeal. They're alive and ready to go. Nothing could ruin this momen-

Zarkal: Answer Celena

And just like that, a social situation. Kaboom. You never asked for this! You grumble. You hope Celena has a good reason for contacting you. You hate being interrupted while admiring your babies.

currentlyTrash [CT] began trolling pythagorasGripX [PT]

CT: hey Zarkal!

PG: xWhat Do You Require?x

CT: I just Wanted t0 ask… Is y0ur transp0rtalizer W0rking?

Zarkal: Check transportalizer

You walk over to the special device. You type in your passcode (you are a little protective of your gadgets and gizmos) and press the ON button. You nod. It seems to be in working order.

PG: xYes It Is. Why Would That Matter Concern You?x

CT: Just… curi0us. als0… Can… it, um…

CT: Can It transp0rtalize things fr0m 0ther Planets?

PG: xIf The Other Planet In Question Has A Transportalizer Connected To Mine.x

CT: what ab0ut A Magical p0rtal?

PG: xMy Transportalizer Is Somewhat Compatible...x

PG: xSo If The Portal Was Fully Active...x

PG: xYes, It Would.x

CT: And… say If I were t0 C0nnect a P0rtal t0 y0ur Transp0rtalizer…

CT: That c0uld transp0rt the 0ne With the P0rtal t0 y0ur Basement, right?

PG: xExactly.

PG: x...x

PG: xWhy Are You Asking These Questions?x

CT: y0u'll see. Bye, Zarkal!

currentlyTrash [CT] ceased pestering pythagorasGripX [PG]

Zarkal: Ponder

You wonder what that was all about. Celena was always a mysterious character to you, and now you're even more curious about her. Why was she asking all those questions? Why was she so interested in your transportalizer? Is it because…

No, she couldn't be thinking of that. It's too dangerous. And Celena isn't that type of person anyway.

Zarkal: Leave your hive

You remember the mission. You've got to get to Rozark's. She'll be waiting for you, and knowing her, she isn't the most patient being. You decide you won't use your transportalizer. It will be way too hard to transport you and your entire robot army over to Rozark's. You will just have to walk there instead. The idea of this makes you tremble, but then you remember your robots. They will protect you from any danger.

You prepare to leave your hive, your army striding behind you. And then someone starts trolling you. You suppress a groan. Why can't people just leave you alone?

Zarkal: Answer Rozark

You sigh. You really hope she isn't going to bug you about moving quickly. You've got a whole army behind you. It's not easy to walk around when you're babysitting 20+ robots.

deathlyRider [DR] began trolling pythagorasGripX [PG]

DR: hey

PG: xIf This Is About Me Being Too Slow...x

DR: no its not

DR: well yeah it is kinda

DR: hurry the heck up

DR: but its also bout something else

PG: xWhat?x

DR: got an urgent message from celena

DR: she says dont leave your hive yet

DR: apparently somethings happening there idk z:/

PG: … xWhat?x

DR: look i dunno

DR: im just going off what cel said

DR: message her if youve got a prob

DR: or maybe dont cause shes busy with stuff

DR: oh yeah she said shes also coming to yours because of this thingy

DR: so yeah be prepared and etc

PG: x… …x

DR: and then when youre done with whatever cels doing with you

DR: come to mine

DR: see ya

dealthyRider [DR] ceased trolling pythagorasGripX [PG]

Zarkal: Get confused

Now you're just downright confused. What could Celena possibly want next? And why is she coming to your hive? You shiver. You don't get many, luckily, but you hate guests. They clatter and take up so much space. It annoys you to the death. Even your only friends. You'd much rather be alone with your robots.

Then, suddenly, your transportalizer lights up. The sound booms through the air, making you jump. You look at the device, pulling your hair out of your face. What's going on?

Zarkal: Investigate transportalizer

You anxiously approach the device, your arms shivering. You don't like this. It's never done this before, unless…

Suddenly, the light grows even brighter. You're forced to take a step back and shield your eyes. When you open them again, there's… someone there. And they don't look like a troll.

"Oh boy!" the… thing gets up. He mops some black hair out of his face, adjusting his hat. "This is a pretty weird-looking place!"

"xWho… What...x" You can't even begin to contemplate what is happening. Who is this?

"Well hiya there!" the thing grins at you. You shiver. "You must be Zarkal, right?"

You don't respond. The thing doesn't seem to care.

"Great!" he exclaims. "My name's June. And I'm from planet Earth."

Then you suddenly realise why Celena was asking you all those questions. You frown. When she gets here, she will not like what she will find.


	4. Zarkal: Be June

Zarkal: Be June

Why, another young man. He looks a little different from the other characters we've met so far. Who is this?

Your name is June Wintersborrough. Unlike the other characters we've seen so far, you're human, living on Earth. You are 13 years old. You live in a house with your big sister. Your parents are never home, so for the most part it's just you two. You don't mind that, though. Hanging out with your sister is pretty fun.

Right now, you are sitting on your bed, observing your laptop. Next to you is your sketch pad. While you love to go outside and explore the world, you also enjoy drawing. So does your sister. She's better than you at everything artsy, but you're determined to overpower her one day. You'll be the best artist in the family!

As mentioned before, you have an adventurous spirit. You're not afraid to take a risk. You're also very optimistic and uplifting, which makes you a good leader. Your sister says you're too selfish sometimes. You don't think so. You're just being you!

You have black hair and blue eyes. You're currently wearing a green shirt with a denim jacket, a green shirt with a drawing of a light bulb, grey pants, and a white sports cap, the cap part being blue. Your personal favourite piece of clothing. Probably because your dad bought it for you.

You only have a few friends, one of them who isn't even human. You don't leave the house too much, since your sister is… very paranoid about leaving. Doesn't mean you don't rebel and try to sneak out anyway,

Speaking of rebelling, that reminds you of your alien friend, Celena. She told you her planet, Alternia, is in a bit of a crisis. She and her two friends are the only ones of their kind who aren't psychos. Celena's friends want to take over the planet, but Celena doesn't want to. Luckily, you came up with a better idea. To save Alternia's empress.

You wonder if Celena thinks it's a good idea. You're pretty sure she does. You smile. You're glad she feels happy. After all, you kind of like h…

No, you shake your head. No, you don't…

June: Answer Celena

Speak of the devil, Celena appears to be trolling you. A warm feeling overcomes you. You wonder what she's going to say.

currentlyTrash [CT] began trolling summersWinter [SW]

CT: June june! I've g0t a Great idea!

SW: What is it, Cel?

CT: Well I'm Planning t0 tell My friends Y0ur idea…

CT: But while I was Thinking ab0ut That…

CT: i got An0ther idea!

SW: Do tell!

CT: s00…. D0 y0u wanna Meet me? In real Life?

SW: Well… of course I do, Celena! Why wouldn't I want to meet you? But we… well… can't.

CT: um… y0u See…

CT: my Friend Zarkal… has A… transp0rtalizer.

CT: which Is a Thingy that can Telep0rt stuff t0 An0ther transp0rtalizer.

CT: I was Just thinking…

CT: d0 Y0u… have…

CT: A Transp0rtalizer?

CT: Because… then We c0uld, um…

CT: transp0rt y0u t0 Zarkal's And...

CT: … meet f0r Real…?

SW: I'm pretty sure I don't. They're not common here on Earth.

SW: But I can see if there's something here…

SW: Brb.

June: Look for something.

You scrounge around in your cupboard. You don't find anything transportalizer-like. There might be something in the basement…

But your sister hates it when you go down to the basement. In fact, she strictly forbids you ever do go down there, unless it's an emergency. So you'll have to sneak by her. You stealthily open your bedroom door, James Bond playing in your head. Your laptop is under your arm. You sneak out of your room, brushing black hair out of your blue eyes. You creep past your sister's bedroom. She's probably reading or something. You're safe for now.

You continue down the hallway, approaching the staircase. Slyly, you slip down, checking behind you every few seconds. Still safe for now. You continue going down the stairs, eventually reaching the bottom. The living room. You're not far now.

You go through another door. Finally, the basement is in sight. You keep going down, approaching the said location. You feel a little nervous, but now is not the time to be afraid. You open the basement door, cobwebs making you cough. You switch the light on. Dust is covering piles of various items. Pictures, scrapbooks, chests of relics.

Carefully, you scan through everything, looking for something. You almost drop a ceramic cup. Thank goodness your wits are quick enough to let you pick it up in time. You keep looking through everything, but nothing's there. You swear your dad once said…

Then you remember!

June: Find that door

There is a door at the very back of the basement. Heaven forbid your sister ever seeing what you're doing. You open the door and enter. There, at the back of the room, is something covered in cloth. Cautiously, you approach it. It looks like it's been there for centuries. Gently, ever so gently, you take the cloth off. There it is. You almost can't believe it.

A portal.

"June…?" you hear from upstairs. "Whatcha doin'...?"

Oh, crud, you think. You open your laptop and hastily reply to Celena.

SW: theres a portal down here is that fine i need a response quickly !

CT: h0ld 0n…

"June?" your sister repeats. You shiver.

SW: hurry hurry

SW: shes coming celena

SW: shes gonna skin me alive !

SW: please reply !

"You're not in the basement, are you?" your sister asks.

"No!" you respond, your voice echoing. A bit of a stupid thing to do, you realise.

"June, you can't go down there!" your sister grumbles. You hear footsteps. Oh now she's coming. And you are dead meat.

SW: CELENA PLEASE

SW: HELP

CT: are Y0u 0kay?

SW: IS THE PORTAL OKAY

SW: WILL IT HOOK UP TO THE TRANSPORTALIZER THING

CT: Zarkal said It w0uld…

CT: But maybe Y0u sh0uld wait…

SW: THANK GOD!

That's when the portal lights up. You almost fall over in shock. But you are insanely relieved. Your sister is nearby. You are not dealing with this.

Without another word, you jump through the portal, dropping your laptop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done with introductions, now we can get onto the story itself. ;)


	5. June: Welcome to Alternia

A/N: The characters here are all the same height and age, in case you're wondering. :P

Celena: Arrive at Zarkal's.

Somehow, you didn't die on the way here. But you're worried that Zarkal will kill you when he sees you sent June to his transportalizer. You nervously enter Zarkal's hive, your knees shaking.

"Zarkal?" you call out. "are y0u There?"

You look around Zarkal's hive. You can't help but feel jealous. His hive is so neat and organized compared to yours.

"zarkal!" you call out. "Zarkal…?"

Someone stomps out of the basement. To your great relief, it's Zarkal. Well, it would be relief if he didn't look beyond furious. You can tell when he's mad because he tilts his head at a weird angle.

"xWhat Have You Done, Celena?x" he asks you angrily. "xYou Have Made A Grave, Grave Mistake.x"

"Zarkal, i…" You're not sure if you'll be able to justify yourself.

"Did you say Celena?" a voice calls. You know that voice. That's June's voice. Your best friend.

"June?" you call out. The human himself appears, his hat covering the side of his face. A smile spreads across your face; you almost forget about Zarkal.

"Celena…" June grins at you. "Well I never!"

You run forward and wrap June in your arms. He returns the embrace, still grinning. You stay there for a few seconds, a warm feeling rushing through you. You feel a blush crawl onto your cheeks. Thank goodness Zarkal is bad with emotions. Otherwise he'd notice the blush and tease you shamelessly.

"xIf You Two Are Finished...x" Zarkal grumbles, massaging his temples. "xOh, Rozark Is Going To Hate This. All Of Our Plans Are Going Out The Window.x" He paces around, muttering under his breath.

"N0 she w0n't," you protest. You hope, anyway. "R0zark isn't Bad 0r anything, But… june will Be a better Leader. He's g0t Natural skills."

"Oh, thank you." June waves it off, his cheeks flushed.

"xJune Does Not Know Anything About This Planetx," Zarkal grumbled. "xHe Is Human.x"

"I've t0ld Him s0me things," you reply. "He d0es Kn0w s0me stuff Ab0ut this planet. And even If he's Unsure… he'll Learn."

"Sure thing!" June gives Zarkal a thumbs up. Zarkal's frown remains.

"xIs He Used To The Harsh Environment Of This Planet?x" he asks. "xNo. He May Die, Celena.x"

"he's g0t us!" you respond. "We Can pr0tect Him."

"xI Refuse To Protect Some Random Alien.x" Zarkal grumbles.

"Zarkal, please!" you beg. "What Ab0ut y0ur robots? Can't they Pr0tect him?"

"xWe Should Send Him Back To Earth.x" Zarkal retorts.

"ZARKAL!" You yell. "JUNE'S THE 0NE WITH THE PLAN! N0T ME! HE KN0WS H0W T0 SAVE THE PLANET! N0T ME! I NEED HIM HERE!"

Zarkal steps back, stunned by your tone of voice. June also steps back, his eyes wide with surprise. You blush once more. It's unlike you to yell, but you were so angry you couldn't help yourself. You love your friends, but they do get on your nerves sometimes.

"xAlright,x" Zarkal sighs. "xHe Can Come With Us. But Only If Rozark Does Not Protest Against It.x"

"Can't wait to meet her!" June cheers, positive as always. "We're gonna save the heck out of this planet! Whoohoo!"

Zarkal: Gather army of robots

You, Celena and that June kid, as well as all your robots stand outside your hive. You glance at your fr- acquaintances. The robots surround the three of you. June is smiling at you, whilst Celena is waving. You sigh.

"xLet's Go.x" you say.

Your army stands protectively by your sides as you start walking. They keep their heads high, shooting bright red lasers at any wild trolls that dare approach you. June is watching the whole scene with fear in his eyes. He clearly isn't used to such brutality. Just as you thought. Humans are soft.

The land is barren, grey and long. Small, rocky yet house-like formations that are hives are scattered across it. The sky is a pale pink blended with grey. It's not the worst day you've ever seen. June might think it's bad, though. From what you've heard, Earth is much nicer than Alternia.

A wild troll almost manages to grab your arm. She is, however, pulled back your robot army and beaten to dust. June looks mortified, staring at the puddle of green blood she left behind.

"That's… that's horrible!" he exclaims. "What… what's wrong with you people? You can't just… you can't just…!" His breathing picks up. He doesn't look so optimistic anymore.

"xI Told You," you face Celena. "xHe Is Not Prepared.x"

"We're alm0st There." Celena replies, ignoring you. You pout. But she is not wrong. Ahead, you see Rozark's tall, rocky hive. You almost feel bad for June. However scared June is of you, he is not prepared for Rozark. Not at all.

Rozark: Welcome your guests

Outside your admittedly small window, you see a whole army of robot trolls, and your friends in the middle. And… someone new. He doesn't look like a troll.

You open the door. The robot trolls surround your hive. The three in the middle step forward.

"bout time you guys got here," you say, observing them. Your yellow eyes land on the stranger. "whos this?"

"Hi!" the stranger steps forward. "I'm June. I'm a human from Earth. May've heard of me?"

"oh, ive heard of you," you reply, glaring at the other two. "celena's matespirt, aren't ya?"

"Uhhhhhmmmmm!" Celena's face goes brown.

"Mate what now?" June asks, tilting his head.

"wow, can't believe she didn't tell ya bout our quadrants," you laugh. Celena is weeping into her hands. Zarkal awkwardly looks left and right. June looks beyond confused. You frown. "but anyway, the hell you doin' here on alternia?"

"I was brought here by these two to save your empress!" June replies, grinning. "I'm the leader of your mission to save Alternia!"

"hold on, i'm leader," you growl, taking a step towards him. "skinny earth runt."

"um, n0, He's the Leader n0w," Celena says anxiously. "He's G0t the plan."

"this is crap," you grumble. "no way, this is my mission. you back me up, right, zarkal?"

"xUm...x" Zarkal looks nervous. "xUh…x"

"June's g0t S0me c00l Earth tech!" Celena says, winking. "T0tally 0uter-Space!"

"xI'm On Celena's Side.x" Zarkal says immediately. You groan.

"worthless, all of you," you growl. "youre wasting my time." You storm angrily inside your hive, not looking back. They're no help to you. You guess you'll have to take care of this mission yourself.


	6. Reader: Be yourself... and just observe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of sucks but the next chapter is gonna be a lot more interesting I promise... ;)

Reader: Be yourself and… just observe.

"0h… well, We… can't W0rry ab0ut her. we Need t0 f0cus 0n 0ur Plans." Celena said, shrugging.

"xBut She Is Part Of Our Plans.x" Zarkal commented.

"we Have june n0w," Celena retorted, putting a weak arm around June's shoulder. "He'll suffice."

"xI Thought I Was Selfish And Cruel," Zarkal remarked. "xNow I See The Real Monster Was Hidden In Plain Sight. Abandoning Rozark Just Like That.x"

Celena titled her head at a weird angle. "M0nster? Who's The m0nster?"

"Celena?" June asked, seeing her eyes had begun glowing. "Are you okay?"

"what?" Celena asked. She shook her head. "I'm Fine… just Felt a little Strange."

"And sounded it too…" June mumbled. He grinned. "But you're fine. Let's just start planning, huh? We've got Zarkal's robots, and us three. We'll have to get a map and figure out where in the heck the empress is. Your planet looks pretty big so we could be searching for a while."

"xI Have A Map.x" Zarkal said, pulling out a map. He was always prepared. Celena didn't even question it anymore. June grinned and took the map. He pulled out a pen and observed the map.

"Right, I need you guys to help me mark the map," June said. Celena and Zarkal sat around June. "What are all these places?"

"dont worry about that," a voice scoffed. "i know where she is. or ive at least got a hunch."

"You're back!" June grinned at Rozark, who jumped out of a window and landed next to the others. She was frowning.

"yeah," she said. "decided being in there was hella boring and i wanted in on the adventure. i mean i was gonna go all solo but nah, changed my mind. and besides, this kid aint so bad for a human. got a nice hat, ill give him that."

Of course she was lying. She had a real plan in place. A plan that would top whatever that human had in mind.

Whatever anyone had in mind.

"Thanks!" June grinned at her, adjusting his hat. She shrugged back.

"xYou're Not Mad Anymore?x" Zarkal asked, looking confused. "xHow Does Emotion Work?x"

"it D0esn't matter," Celena smiled at Rozark. "I'm just Glad she's here." She really was. Even though Rozark was admittedly terrifying, she was a trustworthy and loyal friend. And… sometimes, she could be sweet. Just like how Zarkal could be helpful.

"thanks," Rozark nodded at Celena. "anyway, i got a feeling." She took June's pen and doodled across the map. The others watched in awe. A smirk crawled across the jade blood's lips.

"there," Rozark said, crossing her arms with satisfaction. "x marks the spot."

"that's N0t that Far..." Celena said, raising her brow.

"yeah," Rozark grinned. "who ever said we needed to travel for ages?"

Rozark couldn't decide whether to feel more excited or guilty. She was horrible. But indeed... very clever. Cleverly horrible.

The kids gathered everything they had together, preparing for the journey. June found troll delicacies… strange. Grub sauce? What even was that? It's a shame he hadn't brought any human food. He wasn't thinking when he jumped into that portal. He hadn't even bought his laptop, his prized possession. He shamed himself for being so insolent.

But what about his sister? She'd be worried sick once she realised he was gone. She wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything due to her worries. Then his parents would find out and…

June frowned. He really was selfish.

Zarkal's robots surrounded the kids as they picked up all their supplies. Rozark had said the empress was in some kind of… abandoned castle, which was shown on that map. Apparently. June felt his senses tingling. He had always wanted to go on a real adventure. And now he finally had one.

The army of robot Zarkals continued following the beings as they made their way across Alternia. They fended them off from rabid trolls. June felt fear crawl up his spine. Yet he soldiered on for his friends' sake. Even if it was hot and dry and seemingly never ending…

June looked out into the distance. He could see the sea. Alternia was like Earth in that way. They both had the ocean. Though what Celena had told him about the sea-dwellers wasn't very nice. He was glad they were avoiding the sea. Those sea-dwellers sounded nasty.

Rozark was eyeing the map, determination on her face. She wasn't going to let her friends down, that's for sure. She would save her planet. She knew she could.

Even if sacrifices had to be made.

"xI Am Tired.x" Zarkal sighed, lying his head on one of his robots. Rozark woke him up when a rabid troll almost caved in his skull. The robots annihilated the troll with a few laser blasts. Zarkal clenched his sweater in his fist, sweat forming on his forehead. He hated adventures. He hated being afraid. He didn't want to die.

"were nearly there," Rozark told him. "dont worry zar."

Zarkal sighed and bowed his head. He was thankful his robots were always around to protect him. They meant everything to him.

Celena, meanwhile, was staying nearby June. She eyed his black hair, his blue eyes. She wondered… did she really have… flushed feelings for him? He was a nice guy, but he was… an alien. Was it really okay to have… that kind of relationship with an alien? Celena didn't know. Deep down, she secretly hoped so.

Celena felt… a strange feeling overcome her. She felt… a surge of power… from somewhere. She couldn't explain it. But when she looked at June, he seemed… terrified.

"Celena?" he said. "Your eyes…"

"What?" Celena asked. She shook her head. She felt… normal once more. "june…?"

"Your eyes went all white for a moment," June told her. "Maybe… maybe I was just seeing things, I…" He looked away. "Nevermind."

"I'll take y0ur W0rd f0r It." Celena shrugged. Though she was doubtful. She did feel a bit strange...

She looked ahead and saw… something. She gasped in realisation.

The children had reached their first destination. She didn't see Rozark's evil smirk.


	7. Reader: Continue observing

Reader: Continue observing

In front of the children was a large, abandoned hive. The black walls were cracked and falling apart. Dust was coated on the smashed window sills. Dirt covered some of the roof. June yelled out. His voice echoed through the building, making it shiver. The human stepped back in fright. He almost crashed into a bot.

"This Is the place?" Celena asked. Rozark nodded.

"right in there," she said. "your precious old fishys waitin."

"xYou Don't Know That For Certain.x" Zarkal said, tilting his head.

"got a hunch you piece of work," Rozark chuckled. She kept her smirk hidden. This was where her plan would take place. She knew what she was doing. She knew what the others would say… but she didn't care. For once, she wanted to be selfish.

"Hunches are the greatest!" June cheered. "I go by them all the time."

"see?" Rozark's grin widened. "our leader likes the idea. lets get in there folks."

"0...0kay." Celena shivered, hugging herself. She didn't like the look of that place. Unlike with Rozark, it gave her… bad vibes.

And June said something about her eyes…

"Come on Celena," June took her hand. Her face flushed brown. "We'll be okay. This is for your future, right?"

"right," Celena laughed nervously. "Yeah, i guess S0."

"sure is," Rozark said, stepping in between the two. "lets get in there ya nerds. and zar… leave your bots outside. the place is weak. theyll shatter it."

"xI...x" Zarkal never went anywhere without his bots. He didn't really want to let them go…

"if you like them so much you can stay out here," Rozark growled. "and well leave you behind."

Zarkal gulped. He liked being alone, but… he couldn't stand the thought of being neglected. It made him upset.

"xVery Well.x" he said, bidding goodbye to his robot army. He held back his emotion. He didn't trust that stuff. It was… weird.

The kids entered the building, the floor creaking beneath their feet. Rozark stepped forward, holding up her head. She kind of wished she had some cool-looking fire flowing behind her. Or glowing eyes. Or larger horns. She could look like her ancestor. Now that would be cool.

"Hey," June appeared beside her. "Where are we going exactly, ma'am?"

"dont call me that," Rozark growled. She sighed. "to the middle of this dump. fishyll be there."

"Great," June grinned. He paused. "You know, Celena said you're pretty scary… but you're also nice? And, hey, I don't know you that well, but I think she's right. You seem pretty nice!"

"uhhh…. thanks?" Rozark said, looking away.

"No problemo!" June replied brightly. Rozark could almost see why Celena liked him so. He was uplifting, encouraging… kind. He… could really make you feel good. Rozark could almost see him being a good leader…

No. She was the leader of this mission. And besides… she couldn't back out now. They were too far in.

The children reached a door in the middle of the building. It was surrounded by symbols. The symbols of the infamous troll ancestors.

"right through here is the empress," Rozark said. She turned to her friends, a glint in her eye. "hope you guys are ready for this."

"Reeeaaaadddyyy as I'll ever be!" June cheered.

"xIf We Do Not Die.x" Zarkal replied. Rozark hid her guilty look.

"I… i guess…" Celena said shyly.

"thought so," Rozark chuckled. She gave her friends one last look. "and just saying, i dont hate you guys. but sometimes… you have to be selfish to get what you want."

"what… D0 y0u Mean?" Celena asked. Rozark bowed her head and entered the room. The others followed. The room was spacious, yet the roof was covered with cracks. Faint light glimmered in through dirty windows. The dark walls reflected such light.

"Whoa!" June looked around. "This place is… kinda pretty."

"m0re creepy…" Celena shivered.

"xIt's Ancient,x" Zarkal said. He stared at Rozark. "xWhere Is She, Rozark?x"

"heh heh," Rozark chuckled.

"xWhy Are You Laughing?x" Zarkal asked.

"I'm sorry," Rozark said. She was speaking… formally. "I lied to you. She's not here."

"She's not?!" June asked. The other two trolls stared at each other.

"Listen," Rozark said. "I am the only one who gets to live. You all think I want to find the stupid empress? Of course I don't. Alternia should belong to me."

Bad vibes raced through the air. The kids really shouldn't have trusted Rozark.

"xYou… You...x" Zarkal stared at her.

"y0u…" Celena stared at Rozark with wide eyes. "Y0u're a M0nster!"

"Wait, what?!" June looked confused.

"I'm not a monster," Rozark chuckled. "I'm just… selfish." She raised her arms and let out a battle cry. Suddenly, the walls crumbled down, revealing armies of rabid trolls.

"0h her imperi0us C0ndescensi0n…" Celena muttered.

"xYou Are Worse Than All These Armies, Rozark,x" Zarkal told Rozark. "xSo Much Worse.x"

June just looked dumbfounded. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but no words come out.

Rozark turned her back on the events. She hid her tears. She hid the horror she felt whirling up inside. Was it even worth justifying her feelings at all? She didn't think so. But she knew one thing. She couldn't bare to watch her friends die. Yes, it was cowardly of her. But she couldn't do it.

The three kids stood together. The rabid trolls began attacking each other, while others approached the trio.

"xCelena…" Zarkal stared at Celena, emotion in his tone. "xI'm Sorry For Everything. You're A Good Friend.x"

"Y0u t00." Celena said, smiling at Zarkal. She nodded at June, who bowed his head.

"We won't die without a fight…" he declared, holding up a fist. "Humanity and Trollkind, remember my name!"

June punched a rampant troll in the face, knocking him over. Another one pulled him back, forcing him to the ground. Zarkal stepped back, stressing out. Trolls surrounded him from all sides. And he didn't know how to fight.

"June…!" Celena cried out, her arms covered in scratches. "Zarkal…!" A troll punched her cheek. She fell over, brown blood coming out of her nose.

"Celena!" June yelled, forcing his way through the armies of trolls. "I'm coming- I-" He was interrupted by a gang of trolls who pulled him back. He was dragged along the floor, colouring it red.

"xHelp...x" Zarkal mumbled. He could barely move. He was lying on the floor, helpless. Celena… Celena was angry. She was seeing red. Who did Rozark think she was to leave them all to die like this? That monster. She was no better than any of the rabid trolls.

Celena felt a strange feeling. She collapsed, feeling her eyes explode with pain. She grabbed the sides of her head, letting out a scream. She saw visions.

The empress. Her ancestor. A troll with glowing eyes and flowing hair. A troll standing above all others.

The ruler.

Celena's eyes glowed white, almost shattering her glasses. She floated up, her hair flowing behind her. She wasn't herself anymore. She was something much more powerful.

The rabid trolls stared at her in awe. She yelled a battle cry and raised her arms. Flickers of light began destroying the rabid trolls, one by one. June, although weak, sat up to stare at his friend. What… what was happening…?

Celena yelled something that definitely wasn't English. She was something much more than a regular troll. The weak Zarkal glanced at her with one of his eyes. Both he and June were in awe.

Celena was really something else.

After most of the rabid trolls were dead or had run away, Celena suddenly began destroying the building. Pieces of the roof came crashing down, almost killing Zarkal. Luckily June was there in time. He managed to drag the poor troll to safety, using his body as a shield.

"CELENA!" June yelled, looking up. "CALM DOWN! IT'S OKAY!"

Celena stared at him, her eyes glowing. Her face tensed up. Then she raised her arms, seeming like she was going to change form. That was until someone appeared and knocked her down.

It was Rozark.

"What's she doing here?" June asked, with a hint of edge.

"xWhat Has She Done?x" Zarkal asked, with quite a lot more edge.

Celena was now pinned on the ground and glaring at Rozark, her eyes still glowing.

"cel," Rozark's voice was back to normal. It sounded… melancholic. "i… im so sorry. all of you. im so sorry. im… im such an idiot. i cant leave you guys, i… just cant." She began… crying, of all things.

It was true Rozark felt deep regret. Once she realised the true horror of what she was doing, she couldn't let it continue. These were her friends… and she had led them to death. What was wrong with her? Why had she done this? This plan was horrible. Rozark almost wanted to kill herself.

But she decided to return. She was a fighter, after all.

"What… what's Happening?" Celena asked. She was back to her regular self. "I… i'm s0 c0nfused…" She saw Rozark sitting nearby her. "R0zark…"

"cel," Rozark took Celena's hand. "listen to me. first off, im really sorry. and secondly… you… did something… really crazy, dude. you… powered up?"

"This… i… i… I…." Celena looked dizzy. She stared at Rozark, then at herself. A faint memory of the visions flashed through her mind. She began to panic.

"Celena?" June asked, ignoring Rozark for the meantime. He did want to accept her apology, but he wasn't sure if Zarkal would.

"i… I have t0 G0..." Celena said. She stood up and began running away.

"Wait! CELENA!" June called, holding out his hand. He watched her silhouette in the distance, gradually getting smaller and smaller. Rozark held him back.

"let her go," she said. "well never get her out again."

June turned around and glared at her, his chest rising up and down. Tears filled his eyes.

"Ugh…!" he groaned. "Why didn't I just stay on Earth?!" He hid his face with his hat.

"xI Told You You Would Regret Coming.x" Zarkal replied. He glared at Rozark. "xAnd You Have No Business Being Here. You Are Not My Friend. Go Away.x"

"look, i know you guys are upset, but we can sort this out," Rozark said, waving her hands. "well find the empress this time, and i promise-"

"xThis Mission Was A Failure,x" Zarkal growled at her. "xYou Are Sick And Disgusting. Celena Is Distressed, And So Is June. I Am Beyond Furious. I Am Going Home.x"

"No," June stood up, wiping his eyes. "For Celena's sake… we have to keep going."

"xYou're Insane.x" Zarkal said, staring at June.

"No, I'm determined," June responded. He glanced at Rozark. "If you agree to help me, I'll forgive you, Rozark. And… if you let me be the leader this time."

"sure thing!" Rozark grinned. "thanks weird human thing!"

"Zarkal," June patted Zarkal's shoulder. "I promise… you won't regret coming with us. Please, stay. We need your help."

"x… Fine.x" Zarkal sighed. "xFor Celena's Sake.x"

"Then let's go save Alternia!" June cheered, punching the air.


	8. Reader: You know the drill

Reader: You know the drill.

The kids left the abandoned building behind, making it yet even more abandoned. Zarkal stayed away from Rozark, who was looking down in shame. June kept his head high, storming across the barren wasteland. It seemed Zarkal's bots had disappeared. Zarkal had tried finding them, but…

"xThe Trolls Took Them Away,x" Zarkal growled. "xThey Took Away My Babies.x"

"im so sorry, z…" Rozark said, patting his shoulder. He glared at her.

"xLeave Me Alone,x" he growled, shoving her away. "xTraitor.x"

"Guys, come on…" June groaned. "We can't afford to argue like this! If we ever wanna get anywhere-"

"xShe Shouldn't Be Coming With Us,x" Zarkal growled. "xShe Betrayed Us. And Celena…" He choked up. "Celena Is Gone As Well.x"

"i said sorry," Rozark held out a hand. "i really am sorry, ill do everything i can to make it up to you!"

"xStay Away.x" Zarkal hissed. He walked off, his head down. June gave Rozark a look. He slowly followed Zarkal, glancing back to check if Rozark was coming too. She did, her heart heavy. June was angry at her too, but he forced it down with a smile. He had to focus on keeping the three of them together. And besides… Rozark was strong. She would be useful to save Alternia.

"Maybe we should stop somewhere for a while," June suggested. An image formed in his head: a rosy, friendly scene of the three of them sitting around a campfire, laughing and bonding. That gave June his next great idea. "In a cave or something."

"sounds good humano," Rozark grinned at June. She seemed to be more… positive towards him. June liked that. She could be… sweet, like Celena said.

June frowned. Oh Celena…

"xWhatever.x" Zarkal grumbled, looking away. June gently squeezed his shoulder. Zarkal walked off, his head down.

"Let's find that cave," June said. "We need some rest."

The kids searched for a cave. They eventually found one around a bunch of rocks. June pushed through. It was a small cavern with thick walls and plenty of space. The walls were rocky and full of cracks. June adjusted the rocks outside the cave, letting in some light as well as making a door.

The trolls entered the cave. Zarkal pushed himself up against the wall, away from the other two. Rozark sat down closer to the middle. June slumped down, adjusting his hat. He let out a breath of air.

"Okay," he said. He rubbed his stomach. "Anyone got any food?"

"xYes,x" Zarkal said. He pulled some grub sauce out of their travelling bag. June flinched.

"Um… I'll… skip dinner." he said nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe we should all try to get some sleep."

"not tired." Rozark said.

"xNeither Am I.x" Zarkal added.

"Hmm…" June looked thoughtful. "Well, when I was younger, I used to have trouble sleeping all the time. So my parents or my sister would tell me a bedtime story. That usually made me sleepy."

"xParents And Your Sister?x" Zarkal asked, confused. "xI Have Never Heard Of Such Things. What Are 'Parents And A Sister'?x"

"... really?" June asked, tilting his head. "You guys don't have families…?"

"the heck is a family?" Rozark asked. June looked shocked. Then his eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah," he remembered. "Celena told me trolls are… born in a different way than humans are. Basically, um, our parents are like what… lususes…? Are for you. Expect parents birth us as well as take care of us. My sister was also born to my parents, which makes her my sister. Anyone that's related to me is my family."

"ohhhh," Rozark nodded. She frowned. "humans are weird."

"Trolls are weird." June chuckled. "Celena hasn't told me about troll… birth. She says it's…"

"xIt Is Quite Different To Human Reproduction,x" Zarkal said. "xCelena Probably Believes It Will Disturb You.x"

"yeah, i can see where shes coming from," Rozark nodded. "anyway, go on juney. tell your 'bedtime story'."

"Juney?" June asked.

"yeah, juney," Rozark grinned. "cute nickname."

"Right," June sweat-beaded. "So, anyway, I live with my parents and my sister, though my parents aren't around that much so it's just my sister and me most of the time. My sister is the best, though she can be pretty strict at times. She's a huge geek." He laughed. "And as for me? I spend all my time messing around on my computer. That's the place where I met Celena… and why I'm here right now."

"huh," Rozark said. She frowned. "i miss cel."

"Me too." June sighed, looking down.

"xShe Was Very Sweet,x" Zarkal added. "xShe Would Always Listen To My Rambles About My Bots And She Would Offer Help To Build Things…x" He paused. "xI… I miss her…x"

"thats why were here," Rozark replied. Zarkal glared at her again. Rozark sighed. "how about i tell one of these bedtime stories?" She paused. "so, i met cel a while ago. when i used to be friends with these other trolls. they were being kinda mean to her though so i got em to stop. cel started hanging around me and we became pretty close. even closer when i lost my other friends."

"Awww," June frowned.

"xHmph,x" Zarkal looked grumpy. "xI Met Celena When She Accidentally Came To My Hive Instead Of Hers. She Complimented My Technology And From There Our Friendship Blossomed.x"

"How did you two meet?" June asked Zarkal and Rozark. Zarkal looked away. Rozark sighed.

"well," Rozark blushed a little. "weve been friends since we were wrigglers."

"xNot Anymore.x" Zarkal hissed.

"well, we were friends," Rozark said, her voice choked up. "good friends. we met when we were just wrigglers. kinda grew up together. we stuck together through thick and thin. zarkal was one of my only friends who didnt go crazy. he was different. he was special. could almost call us moirails." She paused. "maybe… even a little flushed."

"Flushed?" June asked. Zarkal widened his eyes and looked away.

"nevermind," Rozark said, waving her hand. "anyway. i guess… i guess z has more black feelings towards me now." She sighed. "And I'm sorry, Zarkal, but… I can't return 'em. I wouldn't be able to."

"xI Don't Have Black Feelings Towards You,x" Zarkal argued, curling his lip.

"but you hate me." Rozark replied, almost sobbing.

"xI… Yes, But Not In That Way.x" Zarkal responded. He was blushing a pale blue.

"Aww!" June cooed. "You two would be adorable together!"

"not in a black relationship." Rozark grumbled. "or… any relationship at all maybe. he hates me, but to me hes my best friend."

"You guys need to make up," June grinned. "You're really sweet friends!"

The trolls both blushed.

"xShe Cannot Be Trusted.x" Zarkal replied. "xI Will Not Forgive Her.x"

"Come on Zarkal," June pleaded. "She'd forgive you. Why won't you forgive her? She's not going to do anything bad again. Right, Rozark?"

"yep." Rozark nodded.

"xYou Are Too Compassionate, June,x" Zarkal responded. "xToo Kind. Too Forgiving. Too Caring. Too Loving. Are All Humans Like You? No Wonder There Are Not Many Of You.x"

June pouted, but brightened up again. "I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Zarkal!" He didn't know a lot of people… but the humans he did know were relatively nice. So maybe Zarkal was right. But wait, what did he mean not many of…

"such a sweetie," Rozark smirked. "no wonder he and celena are matesprites."

"Matesprites?" June asked, confused.

"wow," Rozark laughed. "so innocent."

"xI Think I Am Beginning To Appreciate June More.x" Zarkal said, smiling a little. He stared at June. "xYour Kind Attitude Makes Me Feel… A Bit Better.x"

"Aww, thank you!" June waved it off.

"xBut I Cannot Forgive Rozark,x" Zarkal replied. "xShe Has Done Too Much. It Hurts.x"

"It hurts me too, Z!" Rozark spat. "It hurts me just as much as it hurts you! And I regret it, I really do!" She frowned. "You know what? If you want me to prove myself so badly… then I will." She stood up, determination in her eyes.

"Rozark?" June asked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to die," Rozark answered. "Saving the empress."

And without another word, she ran off.


	9. Reader: Get nervous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to change the rating because violence. :P Also, it's my birthday on Tuesday the 17th. And I'm going back to school tomorrow... :( As well as that, I have a YouTube channel now: iHateFridays :P (with the emoji).

Reader: Get nervous

June and Zarkal chased after Rozark. What Rozark had done was terrible. But even she didn't deserve to die. And June couldn't afford to lose anymore team members. This mission needed everyone.

"Rozark, please wait!" June called out. But the girl showed no signs of stopping. Zarkal held June back.

"xMaybe…x" he said. "xWe Should Let Her Go.x"

"What?" June stared at Zarkal. "Zarkal! We…"

"xYou Know What She Did,x" Zarkal replied. "xPerhaps It Is Better If We Move On Without Her."

"But Zarkal!" June protested. "Rozark said she was gonna prove herself…!"

"xShe'll Betray Us Again At Some Point,x" Zarkal replied. "xShe Is Not Trustworthy.x"

"No," June replied sternly. His voice cracked. "Zarkal… I'm sorry. I… I can't leave anyone else behind. I'm… I'm gonna save her." He took off after Rozark.

Zarkal pouted.

"xHumans,x" he sighed. "xThey Are Too Soft.x" Yet, he found himself following June as well. "xAnd So Am I.x"

Zarkal missed Rozark. She really was his moirail… almost his matesprite. But he was scared of getting too into red or black territory. Both ways scared him. But he stayed friends with Rozark through everything…

Perhaps, he thought. Perhaps he could forgive her. Give her one last shot.

He realised… she really had been with him through everything. She meant so much more to him than any of his bots. And even through betrayal… she was still in his thoughts. His driving passion. A burning fire of love. Red love. Those stories she had told had proven it.

His best friend. His moirail.

Rozark Floroa, the troll who kept his sanity…

He decided that he needed her back even more than June did.

Rozark: Die for your friends

You can't look back now. It's too late.

You run, your short hair blowing in the faint breeze. You wish once more you could be as cool-looking as your ancestor. Fire. Awesome cloak. Huge horns. A warrior.

But instead, you're just some ratty kid who betrayed her friends and is now about to die. Die out of shame.

"celena… dear her imperious condescension…" you sigh. "this ones for you."

You're off to the bottom of the sea. You know the empress will be there. You turn and run in that direction, the wind blowing through your hair. Sweat is running down your cheeks and your heart is pounding, but you don't stop. You can see the blue spread of water known as the ocean. You're so close.

Zarkal, you think. This is for you too.

Your best friend. The one you would die for.

Suddenly, a gang of rabid trolls approach you. They surround you from every side, their eyes blazing. You glare at them. They won't stop you.

"bring it on, punks," you say angrily. You fight off the army of trolls, determination in your every step. Some of them are strong. You get a few wounds in your side. But you don't give up.

You are a wave of energy, like a lightning bolt. A rebel. A warrior. A fighter.

Until of course, one punches you in the head. You fall to your knees, cupping your head. Blood comes out of your nose. Your sight goes blurry. Other trolls surround you, taking advantage of your weakness. Now your jade blood is everywhere. Your arms and legs feel like they will fall off. You take deep breaths, trying to keep your eyes open. You were doing so well. But then you let your defenses down…

"failed already…" you laugh. Trolls are blocking out the limited light. "i guess i do deserve to die after all." You pause and smile. "im sorry, z…"

Zarkal: Save your friend

You see a lot of commotion ahead. Trolls are in a large group, surrounding someone. You hear a lot of shouting. You recognize someone's voice.

Rozark.

"xRozark...x" you breathe. You stare at June, whose brow is lowered. "xShe's Over There. They're Hurting Her.x"

"Then let's stop them!" June declares, holding up a fist. You hold him back.

"xWe Can't,x" you sigh. "xThere Are Too Many Trolls. If We Try… We Will Die Too.x"

"That's the risk in trying," June replies. He has a sad smile on his face. "Sometimes you don't win."

"xNo,x" you retort. You have a better idea. Well… not better… but you know it will save Rozark. "xI Mean, You Aren't Wrong… But, I Had Something Else In Mind. Neither You Or Rozark Will Like This Plan.x"

"Hmm?" June turns towards you, curiosity in his eyes.

"xPromise Me One Thing, Human,x" you stare at June, your eyes showing. "xFind The Empress And Save Our Planet. I Have A Feeling… That You Will Be Able To. Even If You Have To Make Hard Choices… I Know You Will Succeed.x"

"Why are you asking me?" June asked. He tilted his head. "This is a group thing, right?"

"xYes…x" you reply. "xBut I Will No Longer Be Involved. It Will Be Just You and Rozark.x"

"Huh?" June looks confused. You smile.

"xSave The Planet For Me.x" you reply. You don't pay attention to June's expression. You race over to the group of trolls. You see Rozark lying on the floor, covered in her own blood. Your heart thumps in your chest.

You shove past the trolls surrounding her. You feel anger.

How dare they harm your best friend.

"Zarkal!" June cries out. "What are you…"

You pull Rozark out of the mess, feeling trolls attacking you as you do. Blue blood is coming out of your arms and cheeks. Your head is pounding and your sight is blurry. Pain is making its way through you. But you persevere and save your best friend, throwing her safely on the ground, away from the chaos. She lands nearby June. June is watching you with horror.

"xRUNx!" you yell at June. You point at Rozark lying on the ground, barely alive. "xAND TAKE HER WITH YOU!x"

"Zarkal… I can't leave you here!" June protests. Trolls gather around you, furious you took their prize.

"xI Told You You Wouldn't Like My Plan,x" you reply, bowing your head. "xNow GO.x"

"Zarkal…" June makes a face. He picks up Rozark and slings her arm over his shoulder. He wraps his other arm around her waist. His eyes are glimmering with tears as he stares you down. You feel sick and dizzy. Pain is everywhere. But you feel joy as well. Your friends are safe.

Your best friend is okay.

"xI'm Sorry,x" you reply. "xNOW GO!x"

June frowns. "Zarkal, I-"

"xGO!x" you scream, your voice cracking with horror.

"z…." Rozark opens one of her eyes and sees you. Your heart cracks.

"xRozark… I Love You,x" you tell her, tears forming in your own eyes. "xI Always Have. Please… Just-x" Trolls drag you away before you can finish your sentence. The last you see of your friends is June making a horrified expression and Rozark slowly waking up only to realise…

You and her will never see each other again.

You wish you had said sorry sooner.

June: Run

You have no idea what you just witnessed but you don't have time to compose your thoughts. You run, keeping a grip on Rozark, who is starting to wake up. You hope you can mend her. You will go back to the cave… and then you two will continue the journey. The journey without Zarkal or Celena.

You wonder why everyone thinks you're such a good leader. All you seem to do is let people die.

"what… what…" Rozark's voice is scratchy. "human…"

"I'm sorry, Rozark," you sob, adjusting her head on your shoulder. "... Zarkal is… gone."

And with that, you could tell… Rozark's whole world stopped turning. Yours did as well.

Zarkal was right. You're not prepared for this journey at all.


	10. June: Save your friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll once again promote my YouTube channel: iHateFridays :P (with the emoji). I'm not sure if I'll upload anything related to this fanfic, but there'll be plenty of stuff up there. ;)

June: Save your friend

You manage to pull Rozark into your little cave. She's still bleeding. This makes you frown with concern. You pull out everything you can that will help you mend the poor troll. You place badges across her chest and sides. You clean up some of her wounds and give her some grub sauce. She eats it, giving you strange glances. You give her a friendly smile. She just coughs as you continue healing her.

"juney…" Rozark breathes, staring at you. "youre not bad."

You faintly blush. You're not much of a doctor, but you can't say you didn't do a good job. You give Rozark a faint smile.

"Thanks," you reply. "I did my best."

"now we need to go and save z." Rozark declares, standing up.

You feel a lump in your throat. Zarkal… you only just met him, and he's already gone… and you couldn't save him. You just ran away like a coward.

What kind of leader are you?

"I'm sorry Rozark…" you look down. "Zarkal's gone."

"what?" Rozark asks, staring at you. "what do you mean?"

"You really don't remember…?" you ask. You shiver, breathing shakily. "Z-Zarkal… got taken away by rabid trolls…"

"what?!" Rozark growls. Her tone of voice frightens you. You take a few steps back.

"You… were running away, and the rabid trolls caught you," you respond. "They seriously injured you. Zarkal sacrificed himself so I could take you back here and heal you. And, well... here we are."

"Why...?" Rozark whispers, horror in her eyes. "Why would he do that to me…? He knew… he knew that I would..." She gritted her teeth. "I hate him. I hate him so much."

"He didn't want to see you dead," you respond. You choke up. "He loved you, Rozark. In… a red way I think it's called?"

"first cel, now z," Rozark grumbles, looking away with tears in her eyes. "this missions falling apart, juney. we should just pack up and go home. that... idiot z was right."

You smile brightly. "Hey, I know everything's bad, but-"

"i dont want to hear it," Rozark growls, interrupting you. "i dont know how in the condesce's name youre still an optimistic ray of sunshine, but you need to cut it. its all falling down. were dead. done and finished. weve lost two people already. do you really want to lose anymore?"

You frown. She has a point, but you're feeling determined. You refuse to let this mission go to waste. You promised Zarkal you'd save the planet. And that's what you're going to do.

"You think I'm just gonna give up?" you ask, staring harshly at Rozark. "I came here for a reason. And it's not to give up. It's to save the planet. And if you're not willing to help me… then fine. Don't." Your face creases. "I work alone better anyway."

"im sure you do, douche," Rozark growls. "and i dont care."

"Good, neither do I." you reply. Your heart aches.

Why does everything have to hurt so much…?

You don't really want to be alone. You just have no other choice.

"that sucks," Rozark says. "because im going with you."

"Wait, really?" you ask, sounding far too pleased. But you can't help it. Relief is racing through you.

"yeah man," Rozark says. She shrugs. "life back home is boring crap if it's just that for 1000 sweeps. its better to go on a cool adventure, have the best time, and then die, right?"

"Right…" you agree nervously. Yet you can't help a smile creeping onto your lips. You sit down next to Rozark, offering her more grub sauce. She denies it.

"im good," she says. "just wanna wait till i get better. then we can go. can barely move right now."

"Where are we going, anyway?" you ask.

"middle of the ocean," Rozark responds. "gotta feelin' the emp will be there. a real feeling this time."

"I hope so." you reply. You observe Rozark for a moment. "So… you liked… Zarkal?" You pause, grinning nervously. "I-If that's not too sad to talk about or anything."

"oh it doesnt matter juney," Rozark smiled. "we might die soon anyway." She frowns. "yeah. i did really like him. we were best friends." She gazes at you. "do you have flushed feelings towards anyone?"

"Flushed… feelings…?" you ask. "Do you mean… do I like, like anyone…?"

"if thats earth tongue for feeling flushed then i guess so." Rozark shrugs.

"Well… yeah… I… did once," you admit. You feel yourself blushing. "But… she would never notice me."

"aww dont put yourself down like that," Rozark replies. "that girl wouldve definitely noticed you."

"I don't think so," you reply. That girl… she was beautiful, but she was so distanced. "She was very popular. She already had enough attention. She wouldn't notice me. I'm just some boy who likes to play on his computer and read comics."

"youre a very nice kid, juney, ill tell you that," Rozark replies, winking at you. "ive never met someone so nice before. wish more trolls could be like you. guess its not in us."

"Oh, thank you," you reply, blushing. "But… even though you tried to kill us, I still think you're kind of nice. Celena's nice. And Zarkal…" You trail off, choking up. "Well. He was nice too."

"yeah," Rozark says. She looks away. "Thanks, June. You've really helped out."

"No problem." you reply. You lie down next to Rozark and stare at the ceiling. "It's been a rough journey. But we'll survive and save this planet."

"Yes," Rozark agrees. "Yes, we will."

Reader: It's just you again

June and Rozark got up after a while, ready to continue their journey. There was no real time limit, so they did not rush. Rozark could not run very well, but she could walk and support herself. June was around just in case she needed him.

The children left the cave, Rozark leading the way. They were headed to the sea. June was slightly excited about seeing the ocean. He'd only been to the beach a few times and he honestly quite liked it. But according to what Rozark said… the beach on Alternia wasn't a very nice place. There were sea-dwellers there that apparently were even more rabid than the regular trolls. June didn't like the sound of that.

After sneaking around, June and Rozark arrived at the ocean. It was vast, wide and blue, like the ocean on Earth. June gazed at Rozark.

"So, how do we get across?" he asked.

"swim," Rozark answered. She laughed at June's mortified expression. "kidding! well take a boat."

"Oh thank God," June shivered. "I like swimming, but not in deep water."

"thank who…?" Rozark asked, tilting her head.

"Uh, just an Earth thing..." June shrugged. "Um. Anyway. Where's the boat?"

"this way," Rozark said. June followed her over to a small and shabby dock. His instincts weren't giving him any good news.

"This place looks kind of old…" he told Rozark. "Are you sure…?"

"its fine." Rozark assured him. She pointed at a small boat floating in the water. A rowboat.

"Oh…" June didn't feel any better.

"hey, well be fine," Rozark said, casually shrugging. "just a voyage to the middle of the ocean in some mangy old boat. no biggie."

"Ha ha…" June sweatbeaded. "Sure… no biggie."

It was going to be a lot more than that. June could tell.


	11. Reader: Be shocked

Reader: Do what you do best… observe.

Rozark turned the boat's engine on. The boat wobbled for a little bit before driving off, taking the two kids with it. Rozark was holding onto the wheel. June gripped onto the sides, staring at the blue water around him. Rozark had her head down, intensely focused. June just felt nervous. He hadn't been on many boats, but he was pretty sure he had never been quite this afraid while sailing across the sea.

But he held it in. He had to be brave.

"How far is the empress from here?" June asked Rozark, sweat crawling down his neck.

"just a journey away, juney," Rozark responded. She didn't sound scared at all. June was jealous of that. "hold tight."

June laid back, staring at the sky. Celena… Zarkal… June missed them more than words could say. He hadn't even known Zarkal that long, yet…

June sighed. At least Celena was okay. He hoped, anyway. He missed her.

"hey juney," Rozark's voice caught June's attention. "you okay?"

"I'm just a little nervous…" June responded, laughing anxiously.

"'a little?'" Rozark asked incredulously.

"Okay, very nervous." June sighed. He looked at the ocean, wind blowing through his hair. He held onto his cap.

"yeah, ditto dude," Rozark replied. "im scared as heck." She looked down. "but the way things are… can we really afford to be scared?"

"I guess not," June laughed. "But fear doesn't just go away."

"then pretend its gone," Rozark responded. "you can act, right?"

"Ha, ha…" June looked down. "I do that all the time."

"ditto." Rozark smiled at June. "heh… trolls and humans are pretty similar sometimes."

"Yeah," June nodded. He had a melancholic look in his eyes. "That's true."

The water below the boat began to bubble, rocking the boat. June raised his brow.

"oh crap," Rozark's eyes widened. She muttered a bad curse.

"Huh?" June asked, staring at her.

"sea-dwellers," Rozark grumbled. "thought we might be able to avoid em."

"You mean, those extra aggressive trolls that live in the ocean?" June asked Rozark.

"yeah," Rozark replied. She made a face. "i dont wanna be a downer, but were kinda screwed."

"Did you know they would be here?" June asked, scowling.

"thought they were in the other part of the sea," Rozark replied, gritting her teeth. "i guess not. like i would know. i aint a sea dweller."

"Then why did you think sailing out here was a good idea?" June grumbled.

"we had no other choice if we wanted to save the empress." Rozark answered.

The boat continued rocking. June glared at the water, pushing a button on the engine. The boat picked up speed. June held onto his hat. He glanced at something in the water. He felt his heart race.

"whatre you doing, juney?" Rozark asked the boy.

"It's not over yet," June growled sternly, focusing on steering the boat. "Which way do I go?"

"this is a dumb idea," Rozark grumbled.

"Which way do I go?" June repeated angrily. He noticed something appearing out of the water. A face. His heart hammered in his chest. He bellowed at Rozark, "TELL ME!"

"fine, fine," Rozark spat. "were looking for an island. turn a little to the left. should be going in the right direction then."

"Thank you," June groaned. He increased the speed once again, turning the boat left. Waves were more and more frequent. June lowered his head, focusing all his attention on driving. His fingers clasped around the wheel. He technically hadn't driven anything before, but that didn't bother him. Well, it did a little bit, but not enough to stop him.

"Youre crazy, juney," Rozark shook her head. She yelped as a grey hand almost pulled her into the sea. "Hey!"

"Fight them off. Kill them if you have to!" June yelled at Rozark, his grip on the wheel tightening.

"you want me to kill em?" Rozark asked. She smirked. "i guess humans aint as nice as we thought."

June ignored her. In the distance, he could see an island. It seemed to be quite large. Once again he sped the boat up, heading straight for the island. He gritted his teeth. The thought of reaching that island seemed to be consuming his every thought. He couldn't focus on anything else...

"juney, help me!" Rozark yelled. The boat tipped backwards. Sea-dwellers were on the end of the boat, trying to grab Rozark. The frazzled girl kicked them off, but more kept coming back. Rozark called out June's name again. He stared at her. If he focused on helping her, the boat would not be able to reach the island fast enough. But if he didn't help her...

June gulped. He remembered what Zarkal promised him to do.

Save the empress.

That was June's priority. But he didn't want to lose his last teammate…

What was he going to do?

"Juney!" Rozark squeaked. She approached him. Sea-dwellers were still at the end of the boat, giving Rozak and June evil smiles. Rozark was bleeding once again. Her arms were covered in wounds. "You… you've gotta help me get rid of them. They won't leave us alone."

Her voice… suddenly, June got an idea. A horrible idea, but he knew it would save everyone. He would suffer the ultimate consequences. He deserved to.

June felt his eyes fill with tears. He held onto Rozark's hands, giving her a sad smile.

"You're very brave, Rozark," he sniffled. "No wonder I could easily forgive you."

"thats cute and all juney, but i really need your help," Rozark replied, her hands shaky.

"I want you to know that I really care about you," June replied. "We haven't even known each other that long, but…" He sighed. "I think we're already friends."

"seriously juney, i need you to focus." Rozark said, folding her arms. Suddenly, June gave her a massive hug. She blushed jade-green in surprise, her face in the crook of his neck.

"J-juney, stop with the love!" she exclaimed, gently pushing June away.

"But… sometimes, we need to make sacrifices." June replied. He gave her one last smile. "I made a promise to Zarkal that I would save the empress." He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her nearby the sea. The sea-dwellers were watching curiously.

"what are you doing, juney?" Rozark asked, fear in her tone.

"I'm so sorry." June sobbed, looking away. He cried into his arm.

"sorry about what?" Rozark asked, tilting her head.

"Goodbye, Rozark," June smiled. "Thanks for everything."

"what are you talking about?" Rozark asked. Suddenly, June shoved her overboard. She landed in the sea, amongst the sea-dwellers. June watched her as the trolls surrounded her. He quickly drove away, tears in his eyes. He ignored her final screams. While he did, he realised something horrible.

Humans were no better than trolls.


	12. M u r d e r e r

M u r d e r e r

June stared at the approaching island, gripping the sides of the boat. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He didn't want to be here anymore, death surrounding him from all ends. He was losing all his friends. He never thought he'd gain and lose so many friends at the same time…

It's not like he was experienced at having many friends. Back on Earth, the amount of friends he had was… little. His sister was his best friend more than anything. Yet she had friends while he did not. He just couldn't talk to people. Until he met his internet friends…

June shook his head. He had to focus. Right now, he had to save a planet. A planet that wasn't even his.

But he had to do it. For his friends.

The friends he'd lost.

The boat finally arrived at the island. June climbed out, taking a deep breath. It was a somewhat large island, covered in a wild, dark forest. The sky was black. The plants were dying. A rancid smell was everywhere. June's skin prickled.

He worked better alone. Unless he was afraid.

And right now, he was very afraid.

June made his way through the forest, hugging himself. He didn't know what he was looking for. What did the empress look like anyway? A giant troll? He wished his friends were here. They would know what to look for.

June pushed past more plants. Spines cut his clothes, exposing his skin. The hairs on his arms stood up. A plant scratched his arm, leaving a bad gash. He ignored the pain, taking more steps. He almost tripped over a weed, but he grabbed onto a tree branch to stop himself from falling.

June looked ahead. He saw something. An entrance to a cave…?

His curiosity was spiked. He trekked towards the cave, his head up. The cave was covered in rocks and weeds. The entrance was small. Light was streaming inside. June looked inside the cave. A long dark passage. He immediately felt unsure. He didn't want to see anymore caves.

The cave where he had been with his friends, and they were almost happy…

Rozark and Zarkal's faces both appeared in his head. June fell to his knees, his breathing heavy.

Murderer… murderer… murderer…

The voice in his head was booming, shaking him to the core. The boy could barely move. He began to sob wildly, his tears unstoppable. He was a monster. He was the one who deserved death. Not them.

Murderer…

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, June saw something. It appeared to be a group of trolls. June shivered. They didn't look friendly. They were sniffing the air. June tensed up. They could smell him from a mile away.

June glared at the cave, then at the trolls. He clenched his fist, tears still slipping down his cheeks.

"Murderer…" he mumbled. "Take me too."

He jumped inside the cave.

The cave was dark and dreary. June's breathing was echoing against the walls. He trembled, but kept going. Even with the word 'murderer' echoing in his head, he refused to stop.

His determination never died.

June almost tripped down the stairs a few times, but he kept a sturdy grip on the wall. He adjusted his hat. He could barely see anything anymore. He didn't care. Right now, it was either do or die. And the child didn't mind what happened to him anymore. He didn't deserve to live.

June finally reached an open room at the bottom of the cave. The roof and walls were covered in glistening stone, so he could see to a certain extent. And that fact displeased him, for what he saw made him wish he was blind.

"Oh my God…" He made a face, his heart racing. She was back.

Celena.


	13. Celena: Return

Celena: Return

"C… Celena, you…" June gasps. You smile at him.

"well well Well," you say. "surprised, June?"

"Y-yeah, very…" June chuckles. "How… how did you…" He shakes his head. "I thought you went home!"

"I did, But I didn't want t0 stay There," you say. "Y0u guys were Having an Adventure. An adventure That W0uld save the planet. s0 i came Back." Your expression darkens. "and i saw What y0u Did t0 my Friends."

"Oh…" June looks down, a guilty expression on his face.

"but I saw where Y0u were c0ming fr0m, June," you continue. "honestly, We'd all D0 the same thing."

At least you would.

"Oh… uh, I… I see…" June chokes out.

A silence passes between you two.

"just us N0w, huh?" you ask. "That's 0kay. I Always wanted it t0 be just Us."

"...?" June gives you a look of confusion.

"while I was away, i Realised s0mething," you say. Your cheeks are flushed as you straighten your back. "I… I have… feelings T0wards y0u. flushed feelings. I… i always denied Them, but i C0uld not st0p thinking ab0ut y0u… and it G0t t00 much for Me."

"Y… you like me?" June asks, staring at you. You smile and nod. You love the way he smiles and is so compassionate. He understands you like no one else. He always has a friendly look in his eyes and is willing to go the extra mile for his friends. You really do care about him.

"yeah, Quite a l0t," you say, still blushing. "But… i never Th0ught y0u w0uld like me Back, s0 I stayed Quiet."

"Oh, Celena…" Now June is blushing too. "We're friends, I wouldn't have minded. I mean, not like I like you back or anything - I mean, I mean…" He looks away, flustered.

"D0n't w0rry, june," You say, a creepy grin on your face. "there's n0 0ne else here T0 hear Y0ur secrets. say What y0u want."

June's blush grows. "Well, I… like you a little bit I guess. But… it's not like I've ever had a girlfriend before, so I wouldn't be good at, um… 'being romantic'."

"that's 0kay," you smirk. "I didn't Want a L0ve expert anyway." You bow your head, clenching your fist. June gives you a strange glance. You continue smiling, taking a step towards June. He puts his hands in his pockets, staring at you. You adjust your glasses. Then you lower your voice.

"I've g0t a Secret t0 tell y0u," you say. "An0ther thing I realised While i was away."

"What's that?" June asks. You get closer to him, until you're only inches apart. You stare into June's blue eyes, faintly intimidating him. He puts his hands behind his back. You lick your lips. It's time.

He has to know now.

"i know What happened t0 the Empress." you say, your voice creepy. You feel your blood rushing and your breathing pick up. You chuckle slowly. June looks afraid.

"W… what happened to her?" He asks you, slowly.

"She's dead." You respond.

"Dead…" June's face pales. He slips over, falling to his knees.

"Dead." You repeat, still grinning.

"But… Rozark said she'd be here!" June exclaims, his voice cracking. "Was all this for nothing? Did I kill her for no reason?" Tears slipped down his cheeks as he sobbed heavily. You sit down next to him, wiping his cheeks.

"r0zark wasn't Wr0ng," you say kindly. "the Empress is Here."

"S… she is? But I thought you said she was..." June asks, staring at you. "Where?"

You laugh darkly, stepping back. "the real Empress… is Right Here."

"... huh?" June looks confused. Then his eyes widen when he realises the truth. "You… oh my God…"

"yes," you say, glowing with power. "I am the Empress."


	14. Run

Run.

June gazed at Celena. She had become much taller, and her hair was flowing around her. She was wearing a long, black dress with a fuschia necklace, which had her symbol on it. The dress also had a fuchsia belt and boots. Celena's eyes behind her glasses glowed.

"How… how?" June asked, tripping over. Celena grinned down at him.

"When the Empress died, she Gave her p0wer t0 any Rand0m grub she C0uld get her Hands 0n." She explained. "i was That grub, june. I was Ch0sen."

"You…" June was shivering.

"n0thing t0 Fear," Celena chuckled darkly. "i am The 0ne in c0ntr0l. you'll be 0kay Ar0und me. my friends didn't G0 crazy, 0nly because They were around me. I was The reas0n they stayed Sane."

"Have you always known that you were…" June trailed off.

"I 0nly realised Recently, but Does that make Any difference?" Celena asked. "I've Always been P0werful."

"... what are you going to do now, then…?" June asked. "Return to the throne?"

"n0," Celena replied. "That's s0… cliche, june. There's n0 p0int D0ing that anyway. will any0ne even listen t0 Me?" She looked down. "This Plan was all A lie. I can't Bring peace back. n0 0ne can."

"Then… what was the point?" June asked. He sounded angry and hurt. "What was the point of all this?!"

"calm d0wn," Celena replied. "This wasn't All f0r waste. Y0u f0und The empress. But She d0esn't want t0 Save this planet." She kneeled down and cupped June's chin in her hand.

"she wants t0 Destr0y it." she hissed.

June tensed up, stepping back.

"... w-why?" he asked, staring up at her. "I… I thought you cared about everyone… and everything."

She gave him a shark-like grin.

"I do, june," she said. "but i care ab0ut Myself m0re."

"No… I… I can't let you!" June yelled, clenching his fists. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

"Try y0ur Best," Celena cackled, floating above the ground. "but y0u are N0thing c0mpared t0 an empress."

Celena always felt like the world had failed her. She had low self esteem, she was cowardly and rarely left her home, and her only two friends seemed to look down on her. Celena refused to let herself be caught in that mess anymore.

If the world wanted to destroy her, she would destroy it too.

It was time for her revenge.

"But I'm not nothing to Celena," June replied. "I'm your best friend." He stood up and glared at Celena. She felt her heart pick up speed. She did really care about June. He made her feel better when she was down. He was always positive when she was negative. He was uplifting, compassionate… he would do almost anything for her. He was the only thing in the world she didn't hate.

But Celena wasn't herself anymore. She was the empress of Alternia. She didn't need a human following her around like a puppy, interrupting her plans. Even if she did care about him…

"T0 celena," Celena replied. "but n0t t0 a Queen."

June stared at her, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I… I thought…" he sniffled. "I thought you were better than this. I sacrificed our friends just to have the planet destroyed by someone who I thought was my friend?"

"they w0uld've Died anyway," Celena chucked. "why else D0 y0u think I wasn't grieving?"

June scowled, still crying.

"I… I thought I would never say this to you, your highness," June hissed. "But… I hate you. I hate that you've given into this so easily." He removed his hat and glanced over it. "But I won't let you do this. I know this can't be real. The good you is still in there… somewhere."

"i am the 0nly Thing left 0f celena," Celena thundered, the room shaking. June stood his ground. "i have Always been angry, june. But y0u d0n't Understand. y0u d0n't get it. life has Treated y0u well. y0u have 'Family' that Cares ab0ut y0u. I have n0 0ne, Aside fr0m my Friends. but They didn't Care ab0ut me."

"That's not true!" June replied. "They cared about you a lot! I know they did!"

"humans Really are t00 S0ft," Celena sighed. She laughed darkly. She towered above June, but he didn't seem to be intimidated. "but Y0u have n0thing t0 W0rry ab0ut. Y0u'll be J0ining the 0thers soon."

"What do you mean?" June asked. Then he realised as Celena smirked darkly at him. She raised a fiery fist, and then everything went white...


	15. A video game? Sounds easy.

A video game? Sounds easy.

June had always liked nature. He didn't venture outside, but seeing nature all around him always brightened his day. It was so… pretty. He was lying on the ground, a feeling of numbness surrounding him. He didn't remember where he was, but that didn't matter. He loved it here, where he was. It was the best place he'd ever visited.

Then he heard… familiar voices. Voices… from his friends?

"juney," a raspy girl's voice. "hey, juney."

"xHe May Be Dead.x" a boy's voice.

"I'm not dead…" June replied, laughing. "I'm just… relaxing." He blinked. "Wait… who are you guys…?"

"wow, has your memory been wiped clean or somethin'?" the girl asked. "it's us, juney. your old friends. rozark and zarkal."

"Those names don't ring any bells…" June replied. He stretched slowly. "They don't even sound like names."

"well excuse you then," the girl known as Rozark grumbled. "you killed me."

"... what?" June looked confused. "I've never killed anyone before…"

"You really don't remember…?" Rozark asked.

"xShe Must've Done Something To His Brain.x" Zarkal added thoughtfully.

"Wait… what are you guys?" June asked, looking at Zarkal and Rozark. "... you're grey and you've got horns… are you… aliens or something?" He shook his head. "And how do you both know my name?"

"we cant explain everything to him," Rozark groaned. "itll take years."

"'Everything'?" June asked.

"xI Think I Have An Idea,x" Zarkal said. He stared at June, who was giving him a look of disgust mixed with confusion. He pulled out a gun-like weapon.

"Whoa, stay back!" June held up his hands.

"xThis Will Not Harm You… Mostly,x" Zarkal said. "xJust… Stay Still.x"

June's vision was consumed with white.

June woke up on a beach. His clothes were covered in burn marks and he felt sick. He coughed into his hand. The area around him had been completely destroyed. It made him wonder what had happened…

Then he remembered… faces… voices…

Rozark… Zarkal…

His friends.

Were they… alive? He shook his head. Where was that place? Was it… Heaven?

He felt uneasy. He remembered what he had done to his friends. Then he remembered Celena.

Celena the Empress.

June stood up with a new found determination. Celena had betrayed everyone. She had to be stopped. June gazed at his hand. He knew he was the only one who could bring her down. But how? He wasn't a god… he was just a kid.

"but you can be a lot more if you know where to look," a voice said in his ear. "juney… you can upgrade yourself. you can gain god-like powers."

"Rozark…?" June asked, his face lighting up.

"thats me," Rozark replied. "but im no more than a voice in your head. just a voice givin you advice."

"xThat Is Part Of What That Machinery I Used On You Did,x" Zarkal's voice added. "xIt Gave You Your Memory Back And Allowed You To Hear Our Voices.x"

"Wow…" June said, his eyes widened. He grinned, but then it faltered. "I… I'm sorry about… killing you." He looked at Rozark. "I… I thought I didn't have a choice. But it seems I did. Celena…"

"yeah im not worried about that… yet," Rozark said. "celenas posing a big threat. shes gone major messed up." She smiled sadly. "And I thought I was the bad one…"

"xThat Theoretically Means I Am The Only One Who Has Not Committed Some Kind Of Crime,x" Zarkal said. He sounded like he was smirking. "xThat Thought Pleases Me.x"

"yeah yeah youre great, no one cares z," Rozark deadpanned. She cleared her throat. "juney. listen to this. theres a way you can power yourself up so you can kick celenas butt. you just have to meet one simple requirement."

"What's that?" June asked. He hoped it wasn't physical strength. He wasn't exactly the Hulk.

"... ya like playing video games?" Rozark asked.

"Yeah, I play them every now and again," June shrugged. He made a face. "... why are you asking?"

"well, theres this game called sgrub," Rozark said. "pretty rad game ive heard, never played it myself though. you ever heard of it?"

"Nope, but it sounds like a game I've heard of called Sburb." June responded.

"i guess thats the earth counterpart or something," Rozark said.

"xYes It Is,x" Zarkal added. "xI Researched It. A Very Interesting Game Indeed...x" His voice trailed off as he continued with his research.

"mmhmm," Rozark said. "so, anyway, basically in sgrub or sburb or whatever its called, you can level up. regular video game jazz, yknow. and when you level up enough… you can get this status called a god tier. and when youre at that status… you basically have a bunch of cool powers. you can fly, make magical potions, summon fire, whatevers your forte. and youre immortal. sounds cool, huh?"

"It does, actually." June responded with a grin.

"xAnd It Is Also The Only Way You Can Become Powerful Enough To Defeat Celena.x" Zarkal added.

"So I level up in a video game and then I'll be able to defeat Celena?" June asked.

"basically." Rozark answered.

"Wow, that's not that hard." June shrugged, somewhat relieved.

"xThere Is Something I Should Add, However,x" Zarkal said. "xSgrub Is A Team Game. It Is Highly Recommended To Play It With More Than One Player.x"

"... but I don't have another player." June frowned.

"you do, actually," Rozark replied. She paused. "but you're not gonna like who."

June tilted his head in confusion.

"... you better have some skill, juney," Rozark said. "because you're gonna be playing against celena."

June gulped. This was not going to end well.


	16. June: Game On

June: Game On

June hugged himself nervously. Yet he kept taking bold steps, attempting to keep his head high. Celena was… somewhere. And now, June had to beat her at a video game.

His heart ached. He just wanted her back. He wanted the kind and caring Celena back. She did care about her friends. She wouldn't lie about that. June knew she wouldn't.

"you gotta get the game, first," Rozark said. "i think theres a copy at zs."

"xFantastic.x" Zarkal grumbled sarcastically.

"And then, after I get the game… I challenge Celena?" June asked.

"yep," Rozark said. "and if you dont win then the universe is dead."

"No pressure." June laughed nervously, scratching his head.

"mmm," Rozark sighed. "definitely not."

June escaped the island with the boat. In the distance, he heard fires raging and screams all around. He ignored it all and focused on arriving back on the mainland. Once he did, he climbed off the boat and started running. His friends' voices were in his head. They encouraged him to continue.

June saw fire everywhere. The smoke made him cough but he couldn't stop running. He saw trolls and other figures in the distance. It made him wonder where Celena was.

"she thinks youre dead," Rozark answered. "wont it be a surprise when she sees the truth?"

"... I guess." June shrugged. He eventually arrived at Zarkal's house. He remembered this place. He had come here when he first arrived at Alternia…

He entered the house. Zarkal's voice offered him guidance.

"xIn That Cupboard,x" Zarkal said. June turned towards a tall, grey cupboard. "xA Copy Of The Game Is In There.x"

"howd you acquire the game, z?" Rozark asked. "or that... potion stuff?"

"x… I Once Attempted To Play The Game Myself,x" Zarkal said. "xBut… With No One Else. It Was Insanely Risky. However, I Managed To Gather Quite A Few Useful Items While Playing, Such As That Potion. I Quit Before I Could Finish To Save My Life.x"

"edgy," Rozark said. She frowned. "why didn't you tell us?"

"xIt Was Something Personal To Me.x" Zarkal said.

Rozark frowned. "but dude, the game literally requires more than one-"

"xI Know," Zarkal sighed. "xBut I Didn't Care. I Wanted To Play By Myself. I Did Not Truly Understand The Consequences.x"

Rozark shook her head. She stared at June. "found the game, juney?"

"Y-yeah," June nodded in response. He held out the game, which showed a grey house design.

"good," Rozark said. "now plug that sucker into a computer and youre in."

"Computer…?" June scratched his head. "Where's one of those?"

"xThere.x" Zarkal said. "xOn That Desk.x"

June walked over to the desk. Indeed, a sleek, grey laptop was sitting upon it. He booted it up and inserted the game disc into the side. He gulped, sweat forming on his forehead. The computer finished loading.

It was time to play Sburb.

June had never been a big gamer. He played games sometimes, but it certainly wasn't a major habit of his. Now he was about to play a game to save the universe. His skin crawled. As he said before, no pressure.

No pressure at all.

"wait, juney," Rozark said. "you need your coplayer."

"Oh," June gulped. "... almost forgot. I have to…"

"yeah," Rozark made a face. "find cel."

June went outside. The wind was howling. Fires were burning. June held onto his hat and gritted his teeth. He stared up at the sky, feeling his heart race.

"CELENA!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He shouted again, "CELENA!" He was holding onto the laptop, which was showing the Sburb logo. He held it up at the sky. "I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! IT'S ME, JUNE!" He felt angry… and afraid. Very afraid. "I NEED YOU TO BE MY COPLAYER FOR SBURB."

He frowned. Why her? He knew this game allowed you to manipulate your client's environment. He knew he couldn't afford to be that client. If Celena was the one who could manipulate the environment…

"THIS GAME CAN MAKE YOU POWERFUL BEYOND WORDS!" June added. "DON'T YOU WANT THAT CELENA?! DON'T YOU WANT TO BECOME FAR TOO POWERFUL?!"

He took a deep breath, and looked at the sky again. He mumbled, "... please?"

He slumped down, his breathing heavy. He was very tired. Then he heard a voice:

"Game 0n, june."


	17. June: Try to win

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope I get all my Sburb facts right, I haven't read Homestuck for a little bit…
> 
> Also! I have Tumblr now! My username is fridayhater. ;p

June: Try to win.

June shivered.

"... game on indeed." he said nervously. He opened up Zarkal's laptop. He examined the game, getting everything prepared. He hadn't played it before, so he was using the instruction manuals as a guide.

"hurry up dude," Rozark said. "cel wont be waiting for you."

"I'm going as fast as I can." June grumbled. Soon, June had finished. His eyes widened at the sight of the game. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen. "Whoa."

"xA Very Fascinating Game Indeed,x" Zarkal said. "xNow, I'll Help You Go Through It So You Can Level Up And Eventually Become A Good Tier. Since You Are A Server Player, You Can Manipulate Your Client's Environment. Which Means You Can Build Things Or Change Things Or Do Whatever You Want To Do. You Can This To Disadvantage Celena. While That Is Obviously A Good Thing, It Will Be Harder For You To Level Up. You Will Have To Work Extra Hard. At Least For Now.x"

"Oh," June frowned. "Great."

"were not tryna disencourage you dude, were just tryna be honest." Rozark said. "pay attention to zs pc. cels doing something."

"Huh?" June asked. He looked at the computer screen. A live feed of Celena was displayed on there. She was floating above the planet, a dark look on her face. Power was flowing around her. She raised her hand. It glowed a fiery orange. She was staring menacingly down at some trolls far below her.

"Oh I don't think so." June grumbled. He pressed a few buttons, building a wall before Celena. Her eyes widened with surprise, now that she was blocked off. She looked around angrily, searching for the suspect.

"nice one, juney," Rozark said. She whistled. "you learnt how to build pretty fast."

"There's a tutorial right here," June said. He made a face. "Though I don't get this… Grist thing. Wait… it says I… oh…" He facepalmed. "I used way too much Grist to build that wall. I… have barely any left."

"grist is like, money or something, right?" Rozark asked. Zarkal nodded. Rozark frowned. "well, smart decision juney, real smart."

Celena, with some fire, destroyed the wall. She grabbed the grist with a smirk on her face. June gritted his teeth.

"And now she's got it," he grumbled. "I'm no good at this."

"xYou Can Get It Back From GristTorrent,x" Zarkal said.

"What's that?" June asked.

"xA Program That Allows You To Share - Or Take - Grist From Other Players,x" Zarkal explained. "xSo You Can Steal Your Grist Back From Celena.x"

"Whoa…" June grinned with wide eyes. "That sounds horrible!" He shook his head with a shrug. "But I've heard of worse. Where do I get this GristTorrent?"

"xYou Can Find It,x" Zarkal said. "xI Believe It's On My Computer, Somewhere.x"

"Alright." June replied. He brought up the computer's files and began searching through them, looking for GristTorrent. He eventually found the program and opened it up. It didn't look overly complicated, with only two names displayed - his and Celena's. Celena's name had the word 'seeding' under it.

"Seeding?" June asked, observing the name.

"xSeeding Means She Has Grist,x" Zarkal said. "xSo You Need To Leech From Her And Take It."

"How?" June asked.

"xClick On That…x" Zarkal explained. If he'd had a physical body he would've pointed at the screen. June clicked on the correct button, and saw his name flash red, while Celena's name was green. He noticed his amount of Grist increasing while Celena's decreased. Soon Celena had no grist left, and June had more than what he originally started with.

"nice job, juney," Rozark said. "now while its noble and all to mess around saving people, your real goal is to level up."

"And how do I level until up?" June asked.

"... no clue," Rozark replied, sweat-beading. "whaddya say, z?"

"xThe Way To Level Up Varies From Player To Player,x" Zarkal replied. "xIt Could Be Defeating Enemies, Building Objects, Creating Clones Of Yourself, And Various Other Ways."

"... creating clones of myself?" June asked.

"xThis Game Is Quite Diverse In Its Options,x" Zarkal replied. He paused, then his voice raised in pitch. "xIt Seems You've Levelled Up Already."

"... I have?" June asked. Something called an 'Echeladder' appeared before him. He levelled up to something called a 'Plucky Tot'. Suddenly, a hat with feathers appeared on his head. He smiled at it.

"xOh, And You Have Received Some Boondollars As Well,x" Zarkal said. "xSo You Can Buy Things.x"

"Whoa!" June grinned. "That's awesome!"

"hey, thats great and all, but you might wanna pay more attention to your screen." Rozark said warningly. June raised his brow. He glanced at his screen, and noticed Celena was missing. He sweat-beaded.

"Where'd she go…?" He asked.

"dunno, but youd better find her pronto, dude," Rozark said. "you dont want her to go around causing too much trouble."

"But aren't I supposed to level up or something, rather go around and 'be noble'?" June asked.

"maybe this is how you level up," Rozark said. "come on juney, you got a game to win."

"Alright." June said. He examined the area on his computer, looking for the empress. He searched a lot of places. He couldn't seem to find her. He began to get more and more worried.

"juney!" Rozark suddenly shouted. "behind you!"

June looked over his shoulder. A group of angry trolls were waiting behind him. June shivered, tensing up. His heart began racing.

"H… hey…" he said. "N… nice trolls!"

"juney," Rozark's voice was serious. "get the hell out of here. run."

June stepped back. "B-but they're everywhere…" He was right. Trolls were indeed surrounding him from different angles. He didn't know what to do or where to turn. He was doomed.

"Guys…" he squeaked.

"xYou Can Go To Your Planet.x" Zarkal said.

"You mean Earth?" June asked.

"xNo,x" Zarkal said. "xI Mean Your Planet. The Planet That Belongs To You. Where Your Quest Takes Place.x"

"I have a planet?!" June asked.

"xYes,x" Zarkal said. "xEvery Player In This Game Does. You Can Go Right Now.x"

"How?!" June asked. Trolls were closing in…

"xYou Can Teleport There,x" Zarkal said. "xBut To Do That You Have To Unleash Your Kernelsprite."

"What's a Kernelsprite?" June asked. He sounded frustrated. "Why is this all so hard?! I… I just don't get any of this."

He sounded like he was about to cry. He fell to his knees, covered in shadows from the trolls. "I… I guess this is it, then. Not much I can do now."

"You're wrong," a voice protested. A familiar voice. June's heart leapt into his throat. Someone suddenly cut through the army of trolls, a determined look on her face.

"another human?" Rozark asked, confused.

"Not just any human…" June gulped. "That… that's…"

He looked down. "My sister."


	18. Kate: Kick Butt

Kate: Kick Butt

"sister…?" Rozark said. "i think you told us what a sister is. something like a moirail."

June's sister was glaring at her little brother. She had long, dark, thick hair tied back into a ponytail. She was wearing a long, grey skirt and a dark grey jacket over a light grey sweater. She was half a head taller than her brother. Her shoes were black and she was wielding a laptop. But not just any laptop.

June's laptop.

"xWell, She Does Look Somewhat Like You,x" Zarkal commented. "xShe Has Your Eyes, Hair And Sense Of Fashion.x"

"K…" June shivered. "Kate… what are you doing here?"

Without another word, Kate walked over to her brother and gave him a tight hug. She was covered in various colours of troll blood, making June somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't realise she could be so… hardcore. But he felt relief as well. His sister was the most of the family he saw these days. He cared about her deeply.

Then Kate slapped his cheek harshly. June flinched and fell over, cupping the aching cheek. He gazed up at his sister, his sight slightly dizzy.

"You thought coming here was a good idea?!" Kate snapped.

"I…" June blushed. He laughed nervously.

"You're an idiot," Kate grumbled, fists clenched. "That portal you went through was breaking. You could've died coming up here. And plus, what I've seen of this place is so dangerous. There's this… woman? with horns setting everything on fire, and these strange grey people with horns running around and screaming."

"Um… those are trolls…" June said.

"It doesn't matter what they're called," Kate continued. "Point is, you are so grounded for coming up here. Mom and Dad locked that portal away for a good reason. It was never meant to be used."

"Why did they even have that portal in the first place, then?" June asked, feeling faintly irritated. He hated it when his sister tried to be over-protective. He could look after himself.

"... Dad found it a long time ago, buried in some ruins," Kate answered. "He thought he could sell it off for a lot of money, but then he realised it was super dangerous and selling it would get him into huge trouble. So he kept it in the attic. He never told us about it since he didn't want us to use it… but I guess one of us did anyway."

"You came up here too," June pointed out. "So that makes two of us." He smirked.

"Well, I came up with research and preparations," Kate explained. "You just went up completely unready. That's why you literally nearly died."

June pouted.

"i don't know if i like your sister or not," Rozark mumbled. "she seems kinda… salty."

"Yeah, she can be." June mumbled back.

"xI Have Mixed Feelings.x" Zarkal commented.

"Anyway, I'm taking you home," Kate said, grabbing her brother's arm. "It's way too dangerous here."

"No!" June yelled, angrily shaking her off. "Kate, listen. I've got a huge mission that I need to complete so I can save the universe! I can't do that on Earth! I have to stay here."

"You have a mission?" Kate asked. She frowned. "How did you get a mission? And what does it have to do with saving the universe?"

"It's a long story," June replied. "But basically one of my troll friends became evil and is trying to destroy the world and I have to stop her."

"You're friends with some of these grey freaks?" Kate asked.

"'freaks'?" Rozark asked, her voice low. "i swear if i was alive id…"

"They're not freaks," June argued. "They're my friends. Celena was my friend too. But… something happened to her. And now I need to save her… and the whole universe. I can't go home now, Kate, I just can't!"

"But why you?" Kate asked. "Why are you so… special?" She paused. "I didn't mean that to sound rude, I just-"

"No, I know what you mean," June sighed. "And… I don't really know. I guess it's because I became friends with an alien girl who accidentally messaged me one day."

Kate sighed. "June, I'm just super worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt or die."

"I might die," June admitted. "But I'll try not to."

"That's why I'm coming with you," Kate said. "Someone needs to keep you safe."

"oh hell no," Rozark grumbled. "tell her to get lost, juney."

"... I don't think I can." June said, sweat-beading.

"Who are you talking to?" Kate asked, folding her arms with suspicion.

June panicked. He debated with himself over whether he should tell the existence of the voices of dead friends to his sister.

"dont do it," Rozark said. "she doesnt deserve to know about us."

"xI Think It Will Serve You Better In The Long Run If You Reveal The Truth.x" Zarkal said.

"youre hopeless z." Rozark grumbled. Zarkal made a small noise.

"Um…" June made a face. "Well… basically I had a few troll friends… but they kind of died. And now… for some reason, I can hear their voices in my head and I can talk to them as well?"

"june you idiot." Rozark growled.

"She wouldn't have believed me if I said it was nothing." June hissed at Rozark.

"Voices in your head?" Kate asked. "That's super weird. It's probably just PTSD. You'll get better."

"i swear…" Rozark sounded furious. "z, is there any way at all for us to come back? i wanna beat the living crap out of this girl."

"Hey!" June grumbled. "She may be mean sometimes, but she's my sister!"

"What are your friends saying?" Kate asked, tilting her head.

"... you don't want to know." June answered shakily.

"Are they saying anything mean?" Kate asked. "That would make them total jerks."

"Grrr." Rozark was sounding madder and madder.

"xThere Is A Way To Come Back, But I'm Not Sure If It Is Possible In Our Current Situation,x" Zarkal said. "xWe Can Be Made Into Sprites.x"

"the heck are those?" Rozark asked.

"xSprites Are Like Guides Or Spirits That Can Offer Assistance To The Player,x" Zarkal explained. "xThey Can Be Anything From A Previously Dead Player Or A Hat, Perhaps. They Also Have An Effect On The Medium. However, They Must Be Programmed Using A Kernelsprite.x"

"and what's a kernelsprite?" Rozark asked.

"xA Kernelsprite Is What An Organism - Living Or Dead - Or Object Must Be Programmed With To Form A Sprite. It Can Be Programmed Twice.x" Zarkal answered. "xJune Has One Of These.x"

"wait, but then wont he need our bodies to create the sprite?" Rozark asked.

"xThat Is The Hard Part...x" Zarkal said quietly.

"Bodies…" June mumbled. His sister's voice went through his ears without him registering any of its meaning.

"June!" Kate waved her hand in front of June's face. "Are you listening?"

"Sorry," June said. "My friends were just talking about something important."

"And so was I," Kate said. "I was trying to get you to tell me what is going on here."

"Long story," June said. "I'll explain it on the way."

Kate tilted her head. Her eyes showed concern. "Where are we going?"

June bit his lip. "To find my dead friends."


	19. Introducing...

Introducing...

"June, slow down!" Kate called, breathing heavily as she chased her brother. He was holding onto his hat, determination in his every step.

"nah, keep running," Rozark said grouchily. "i don't want her here."

"Rozark!" June grumbled. "Where am I supposed to be going?"

"my place," Rozark said. "then zs. there'll probably be some of our dna there so you can prototype us or whatever." She paused. "just keep going in this direction."

June sighed and shook his head. He kept running, sweat trickling down his brow. Smoky wind filled his lungs. His sister managed to keep up with him, much to Rozark's dismay.

"i swear," Rozark snarled. "once im a sprite i am giving that girl a talking to."

"Rozark!" June grumbled, clenching his fists.

"This Rozark friend of yours doesn't sound like a nice person at all, June." Kate commented.

"She's just a bit… feisty." June said, scratching his head.

"feisty…" Rozark ground through gritted teeth.

"xI Cannot Disagree.x" Zarkal commented.

"no one asked for your opinion, z." Rozark growled.

"Mmm," Kate raised her brow. "I guess this Rozark is telling you where to go?"

"Yeah," June said. "We're going to her house."

"'house'?" Rozark asked. "the heck is a 'house'?"

"xI Think He Meant Hive.x" Zarkal said thoughtfully.

"oh, i guess 'house' is the human term for hive." Rozark said. She paused contemplatively. "makes sense."

"So where am I going?" June asked. His legs were feeling a bit wobbly. The rough, cracked ground beneath him was not the best walking surface. He suddenly wished he was back on Earth, surrounded by his creature comforts and not this empty, war-torn planet. He hugged himself, taking a deep breath. His lungs felt like they were going to collapse.

"June?" Kate asked, grabbing his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yep!" June answered with a big grin. Kate raised her brow.

"oh look, my hives up there." Rozark said. The group approached Rozark's hive, which, June secretly thought was a bit shabby. It was completely black and shaped like a Twistie. The walls were slightly cracked and the dirty, diamond-shaped windows shimmered a bright orange.

"Ugh, someone actually lives there?" Kate asked.

Rozark's growl was threatening. June bit his lip.

"Let's just go in," he said quickly. He opened the heavy, black door, which Rozark had left unlocked for whatever reason. The inside was quite a mess if June had to admit. Things were all over the floor, including piles of grub sauce and wrappers. The walls were decorated in some language June didn't understand. There were also a few photos of Rozark around and empty cans.

"And I thought the outside was bad…" Kate shook her head disapprovingly.

"i swear…" Rozark's tone grew darker.

"What's something that has your DNA on it, Rozark?" June asked.

"hmm…" Rozark paused. "theres a-something probably in my recuperacoon."

"Your what now?" June asked, making a face.

"that thing, straight ahead." Rozark answered, referring to a purple formation in the corner of the room. June tilted his head and walked towards it.

"What is this?" he asked. He looked inside it, and saw green liquid bubble up. His brow wrinkled in disgust.

"What on Earth?" Kate asked, also seeing the Recuperacoon.

"were not on earth you dingus." Rozark grumbled.

"xI'm Assuming Humans Do Not Have Recuperacoons." Zarkal commented.

"... nope." June answered, laughing nervously.

"well, youre gonna have to look through it if ya wanna save me." Rozark said. "i store a lot of stuff in there."

"Ugh…." June looked almost as green as the slime in the Recuperacoon.

"xEven I Find That Mildly Disgusting,x" Zarkal agreed. "xWho Stores Objects In Their Recuperacoon?x"

"me." Rozark answered.

"Fine." June sighed. He dipped his arm into the green slime. It felt warm and thick. He used his other arm to cover his mouth.

"look for something sharp." Rozark said.

"Something sharp?" June asked. He sighed. "Not scary at all."

"I really don't like this." Kate said. She stood next to her brother, making sure he didn't fall into the slime. He continued waving his hand through it, looking more and more disgusted. Eventually, he pricked his finger. He put the rest of his hand around the sharp object and pulled it out. It was a piece of a horn.

"yeah," Rozark said. "once i was chilling in there, and i got pretty bored, so i decided to do a backflip into it." She paused. "... didnt quite work out the way i expected." If she'd had a physical body, she would've petted her horn with a nervous chuckle.

"xYou Do Act Ridiculous Sometimes.x" Zarkal sighed.

"well so do you," Rozark argued. "youre so organised its scary."

"xThat's More Of A Compliment Than A Rebutal.x" Zarkal smoothly pointed out.

"you are getting some sass, z," Rozark sighed. "and i thought youd never change."

"Is that candy corn?" Kate asked, looking at the horn fragment in June's hand.

"everything she says i swear…" Rozark hissed.

"No, it's a horn," June said. "Trolls have horns, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Kate replied. She tilted her head. "What are we doing with it?"

"We're going to put it into the kernelsprite, and hopefully Rozark should come back." June answered.

"hopefully, so i can kick the willy nilly out of you, kate." Rozark growled.

"xYou Really Do Not Like That Female June.x" Zarkal said, raising his brow.

"dont compare her to juney, z," Rozark hissed back, making Zarkal whimper. "shes nothing like him. she sucks."

Zarkal cleared his throat. "xI Actually Think-x"

"Guys, please stop talking," June said, crossing his arms. "I'm trying to figure out how to prototype this kernelsprite."

"Maybe look at that manual?" Kate asked, peering over June's shoulder.

"xBring Out The Kernelsprite By Pressing That.x" Zarkal said. June did what he instructed. A glowing ball that was similar to strobe lights appeared before him. June watched it with wide eyes.

"Oh gosh," Kate covered her eyes. "What the heck is that?!"

"Kernelsprite." June answered. He held up the piece of Rozark's horn. He was about to put it on the Kernelsprite when suddenly Zarkal shouted,

"xWait!x"

June looked up.

"xThere Is One More Thing You Must Add,x" Zarkal said. "xIn My Computer. On The Bottom, There Is A Small Lid. Open It. Inside Will Be Some Blue Liquid. Dip It Into The Horn Before You Put It Into The Kernelsprite."

"... why?" June asked.

"x… The Kernelsprite Will Fail Otherwise.x" Zarkal answered. He sounded slightly nervous.

"thats kinda random." Rozark said, tilting her head.

"x… quite.x" Zarkal agreed quietly.

"Alright then!" June pulled out Zarkal's laptop, humming a cheery tune to himself. His sister was watching him with curiosity. June opened the lid on the back of the laptop and dipped the horn in the deep blue liquid. He observed the now blue horn, then looked up for Zarkal's approval.

"xYes,x" Zarkal said. "xNow Prototype It.x"

"You got it." June grinned. He put the horn in the Kernelsprite. A bright flash of light occurred before him. Both he and Kate were flung to their knees.

Kate coughed. She looked up. "June? Are you okay?"

"... yeah." June replied. He saw something in front of him. His jaw nearly dropped off.

"What is that?" Kate asked. Her brother clung onto her in fear. She hugged him tightly.

"xhelp Me!" the thing demanded in a horrid voice.

Introducing: ROZARKALSPRITE!


	20. Rozarkalsprite: Freak Out!

Rozarkalsprite: Freak out!

"Oh…" June looked at the creature in front of him. He… She… they? They had a lightning-bolt-shaped horn poking out of one side of their head, and a horn similar to a fork pointing out of the other side. Their greeny-blue hair was short, and the ends were spiky. Their shirt was blue while their pants were green. One of their eyes was covered with hair, while the other was wide open and full of rage.

"xyou Did This to me!" Rozarkalsprite yelled, baring their teeth.

"Me?" June asked, backing up. "I didn't know you would turn into… that thing!"

"xNo!" Rozarkalsprite yelled. "it was Planned!x"

"Planned?!" June asked. "I honestly-"

"zarkal Knew This would happen! he Planned it!x" Rozarkalsprite growled. They held up their fist and aimed it at themself.

"Wait what?" June asked.

"xIt's true," Rozarkalsprite sighed, hanging their head. "zarkal Did Plan it. he Knew This would happen.x"

"What the Hell?" Kate asked. "Why are trolls so weird?"

"I Remember why i hate you So,x" Rozarkalsprite growled at Kate. They touched their heart. "x… kind of. Part Of Me… likes you?"

"What?" Kate asked, tilting her head.

"youre so… Pretty." Rozarkalsprite said. They suddenly looked angry and began flashing green and blue. "xNo! youre disgusting! die!"

"What?" Kate asked again, stepping back.

"I really have no idea…" June replied, shaking his head. "Mixed feelings?"

Rozarkalsprite yelled, pulling their hair. Their voice kept raising and lowering in semitones.

"i Hate this Existence!x" they yelled, their voice now cracking. "everythings Hard! i Don't Know how im supposed To Feel!"

"Umm…" June held up his hand apprehensively. "Well… try calming down?"

"Calm Down?" Rozarkalsprite asked angrily. "i cant calm Down Just like that! so many Feelings Are Going Through my head! I'm Confused and i regret Everything!x"

"Oh man…" June frowned. "Zarkal, why…? Why did you…?"

"I do not trust that thing," Kate grumbled, her eyes lowered in suspicion. She grabbed June's shoulder and pulled him back. "Come on, June, we're getting out of here."

"xdont Go!" Rozarkalsprite yelled, holding out their hand. "xYou need me!"

"No we don't," Kate grumbled. "Whatever you are."

"but im A sprite!x" Rozarkalsprite argued.

"I don't care what you are, you're a mess and we don't need you," Kate growled. "My brother and I are leaving now."

Rozarkalsprite was about to continue protesting, but Kate had already dragged her brother outside. As soon as the siblings were outside, June gave his sister an angry glare.

"Kate!" he sighed. "He… she… the sprite probably wasn't lying! I mean, it's part Zarkal, and he knows much more about this game than I do! I'd be dead without his guidance!"

"June, I'll be honest," Kate folded her arms. "I don't like your friends."

"You haven't even met them!" June grumbled back.

"I've heard a lot about them," Kate replied crossly. "And none of it sounds good."

June gritted his teeth. "But you haven't really met them." He looked at his shoes, feeling a little down. His eyes were hidden. "I'm no better than either of them. I'm the reason Rozark is dead. I killed her."

"You killed someone?!" Kate asked, her eyes wide.

"I thought I had no choice…" June sighed, bowing his head. "We were traveling on a boat to an island and all these trolls were behind us. Rozark was fighting them off, but she was having trouble with it. I wanted to help her but I had to focus on driving to the island. I had to make a choice in the end: save Rozark or save the world."

"Oh…" Kate frowned. "But… you couldn't save the world, could you?"

"No." June replied with a sad smile. "If only I knew."

Kate shook her head. "That's why you shouldn't have come here, June. This place has ruined you. You've become a murderer."

June folded his arms. "No, it's why you shouldn't have come here, Kate. Because you don't understand anything about this place."

"Excuse me?" Kate growled, her hands on her hips.

"You don't know anything about my friends," June snapped. "You don't know anything about this planet! All you know about is being over-protective. Why couldn't you just stay on Earth where you don't bother me?"

Kate looked hurt. She put a hand over her heart.

"You really think that?" she asked coldly.

June realised what he said. He choked up. He frantically shook his head, scowling at himself. "N-no… I… I'm sorry, I just… got mad. These guys are my only real friends, and you're insulting them. I'm not special and cool like you. I don't have people that flirt with me all the time and friends at every corner. I'm not in thirty gazillion group chats. I'm not popular like you. Barely anyone knows who the Hell I am. I'm just a loser that spends all his time on his computer."

"You're not a loser, June," Kate replied. She scowled. "You just need to stop being so anti-social! There's a whole world out there waiting for you. If you can make friends with these 'trolls', you can make friends with other humans." She sighed, looking down. "I was being a little hard on your troll friends. Maybe they can be good people? I'll give them another chance."

"I…" June blushed. "I guess you're right…" He smiled. "Thank you, Kate."

"You're welcome." Kate replied, patting his shoulder. The two grinned at each other. Kate noticed he was flashing. She stepped back, her brow raised.

"Huh?" June asked. He realised he was leveling up. Feathers appeared on his hat. He received more Boondollars. He cheered, giving his sister a high-five. "Whoohoo! We're gonna win this game!"

"xSkaia!" Rozarkalsprite yelled, bursting out of the house. They kept changing colours, their eyes glowing. "planets! derse! Prospit! battlefield!" They shivered, fizzing with electricity. "xSo Much To tell you!"

"What…?" June asked.

"You really need to learn how to speak." Kate told Rozarkalsprite.

"death and Love to ya, Human!x" Rozarkalsprite yelled, shaking their fist at Kate with a friendly smile.

Kate looked like she was about to say something else, but she held her tongue.

"Anyway," June cleared his throat. "If you've calmed down, Rozarkalsprite… can you take me to my planet?"

"Planet!x" Rozarkalsprite exclaimed. "um! i can get You there, June… y! but i Think I Should Tell you about prospit and Derse first!x"

"Prospit and Derse?" June asked, tilting his head.

"they are Planets That fight on the Battlefield in skaia," Rozarkalsprite explained. "xProspit's gonna lose. These Planets have to do With Dreams you have, and what Type of dreamer you'll be.x"

"Dreamer?" June asked.

"xyes,x" Rozarkalsprite replied. "You'll see When We Get there."

June made a face, but decided to accept it. He was, after all, very intrigued about his supposed planet.

"So," he said. "Do we get to go to my planet now?"

"xsure," Rozarkalsprite nodded. "but youd Better let Me Tell You More boring and confusing - i Mean Useful - information about Being A Dreamer.x"

"Yep," June nodded. He nodded at his sister. "I just want to get to my planet, first."

And when he got there, he was quite surprised indeed…

Welcome to the Land of Energy and Life!


	21. June: Nice planet!

June: Nice planet!

"Oh wow…" June looked all around. His planet was bright and cheerful, and the sun was shining a bright beam down. It lit up his face.

"It sure is beautiful, I'll give it that." Kate said, shielding her eyes. There were various power plants lying around as well, creating tons of electricity. The land was practically glowing.

"Heck yeah!" June cheered. "My planet is awesome!"

"It's really bright," Kate said, covering her eyes. "Beautiful, but I'm honestly going to go blind."

"its Something,x" Rozarkalsprite said, shrugging. "i like The Colours more Than anything."

"Well, love this place or not, we're safe now," June cheered. "No more trolls or Celena trying to kill us!" He smiled nervously. "For now, at least."

"xYou're never really safe,x" Rozarkalsprite retorted. "youll always be In Danger. this Is Life."

June folded his arms. "Hey, I wasn't in danger on Earth!"

"you Probably were," Rozarkalsprite protested. "xyou just Weren't aware Of it."

June just looked confused. He gazed at Kate. She shrugged.

"So, anyway," he said. "You wanted to talk to me about… Skaia or something?"

"xYes," Rozarkalsprite replied, now grinning eagerly. June wondered if he had reason to be afraid, just judging their expression.

"so, skaias This Big place in the sky That has all the planets, Including the battlefield," Rozarkalsprite explained. "xthats where The Prospitians and dersites fight. youll also Be a Derse Or Prospit Dreamer. that means What Planet You'll have dreams on and Stuff. the forces Of light Or The forces Of dark.x"

"Oh, cool!" June grinned, squirming like a young child. "So, what dreamer am I?"

"xYou'll find out When you sleep," Rozarkalsprite answered.

"But that's not important," Kate replied. "Leveling up is. Sooner we do that, sooner we can go home."

June made a face. Rozarkalsprite had a mixed expression.

"You should know by now I don't trust this place." Kate folded her arms.

"I know, but we have to save the world," June replied. He patted his sister's arm. "We'll be fine if we stick together."

"Of course." Kate nodded, grinning.

"xYou two are Sweet," Rozarkalsprite commented. Their expression began to rapidly change. "xkind of! sometimes! Yuck!"

June and Kate looked at each other and laughed.

"Anyway, we need to keep getting you to level up," Kate said.

"Maybe there's something I can do on this planet that will help?" June suggested.

"There's a quest Bed," Rozarkalsprite said. "xyoull Need That to become a God tier. but it comes With a price."

"A price?" June asked. He tilted his head. "... what price?"

Rozarkalsprite looked away. "nevermind.x"

June frowned. "... well, anyway, anything else on this planet?"

"That.x" Rozarkalsprite pointed at something in the distance. It seemed to be a golden, salamander-like creature with a long, blue tongue.

"What is that?" Kate asked, tilting her head.

"Aww!" June grinned. "It's adorable!" He went over to it and patted it. He flinched at how slimy it was.

"That better not be poisonous or something." Kate growled.

"oh, right, There's also A Denizen youll need to See," Rozarkalsprite said. They had a thoughtful look on their face. "xPerhaps… it can Help you level Up faster, june… y."

"Denizen?" June asked.

"immensely powerful NPCs on the Planet,x" Rozarkalsprite replied. "xthey usually cause A Lot Of the planets Problems. Kill it And You'll Get a lot of grist. and probably Level Up So You can Become a god tier. but if it kills You…x"

June glanced at his hand. He thought about Celena once again. He thought about everyone that had suffered and was going to suffer because of her. Including himself.

"Let's go and find that Denizen," he said decisively. He needed this to end. Celena needed to be stopped. Whatever that Denizen was, it wasn't as bad as her.

"well," Rozarkalsprite made a face. "xIf you die… Don't Complain To me."

"June no," Kate clenched her fists. "If you die I-"

"This is my best chance," June said. He adjusted his hat and puffed out his chest. "You can't stop me."

Kate scowled in protest.

June glanced at Rozarkalsprite. "Where is my Denizen?"

"xThrough the Seven gates." Rozarkalsprite answered.

"Seven gates?" June asked.

"yep," Rozarkalsprite said, shrugging. "You Have to build up To them.x"

"Great," June grumbled, kicking the ground with his heel. "I swear I'm never going to get anywhere in this stupid game. There's always a forty-step process."

"work Fast," Rozarkalsprite told him. "xYou'll be there in no time."

"True," June replied. He grinned. "Okay, let's build!" He fist-pumped the air.

"But you're no builder…" Kate muttered.

"hope you Have enough Grist.x" Rozarkalsprite sighed.

"I probably don't, but we'll build anyway!" June replied, still grinning widely.

"xOh, you'll probably have to Enter this Thing called the Medium As Well,x" Rozarkalsprite said.

"Another thing?" June asked, now irritated. He groaned. "Why is this game so hard?!"

"we haven't Even Discussed half Of it," Rozarkalsprite said, scratching the back of their head. June facepalmed into the ground.

"This is gonna be fun…" Kate sighed.


	22. June: Fight!

June: Fight!

June was tired. Tired of doing quests. Tired of saving the world. He just wanted to go home. Back to Earth.

"You're looking tired, June," Kate noticed his dreary expression. Bags had appeared under his eyes. Of course she noticed.

"I'm fine." June replied, putting a smile on. He preferred to be happy than to be down, even if he wasn't feeling happy at all. Even though he wasn't showing his true feelings, he didn't want to snap at others.

"How much longer?" Kate asked, gently grabbing his shoulder.

"Huh?" June asked.

"How much longer until we get to go home?" Kate asked. "Then you can finally get a break."

"Who knows…" June bowed his head, frowning. "B-but… we'll be fine. We've… we've got a Denizen to face… first… we're getting close…"

Kate just looked concerned.

"don't look so Tired,x" Rozarkalsprite interjected, storming up to June. "Building Up to skaia is The whole Point of the Game. and itll Get us to Your denizen Pronto.x"

"I know…" June replied. He sighed, and kept smiling. "Let's get there then!"

"Wait," Kate held up her hands. "My brother has a planet, right? And he's playing this weird game with his 'friend', right?"

"Celena…?" June asked. He shivered at the thought of his former best friend. "Yeah… what about her?"

"Does… Celena… have a planet too?" Kate asked, clenching her jaw.

"xshe would," Rozarkalsprite answered. "Chances Are, We'll be going there."

"Oh…" June bit his lip. "Will we… run into her?"

"i Should hope not,x" Rozarkalsprite replied. "but we Could."

June gulped. He shook his head.

"Well," he said, grinning once again. "Let's just focus on getting to my denizen instead!"

"xYou're Still cheerful, june…y," Rozarkalsprite told June. "... at Least thats still The same."

"Always!" June said, scratching the back of his head. His sister had her eyes narrowed.

Celena glanced at the fire all around her. June seemed to have disappeared. That didn't bother her. He was just standing in her way anyway.

But then she remembered what he was capable of. He could summon buildings with a few clicks. He was levelling up, becoming even more powerful. A threat. A threat to her power.

He could… stop her.

Celena didn't want to believe it at first. It was June, her old best friend. A caring, optimistic soul. Someone who cared about her. And she had cared about him back. He wouldn't hurt a grub! But the truth was clear.

June was dangerous.

"MY lord…" a troll bowed beneath her, trembling. He had given up fighting. He was loyal to the empress. "YOU'VE come BACK."

"im Glad you rec0gnize me," Celena replied. Her palms lit up with fire. "I Have a fav0ur 0f Y0u."

"... a FAVOUR?" the troll asked, looking up at Celena.

"There is a Human 0n this planet," Celena replied. The fires in her palms increased in size. "find him And Bring him t0 me."

"... a HUMAN?!" the troll asked. "where WOULD i FIND a HUMAN?"

"l00k f0r him," Celena insisted, baring her teeth. "Search everywhere. everywhere. D0n't stop until Y0u find him. understand?"

"... what DOES he LOOK like, M'LADY?" the troll asked, standing up and hugging himself.

"like a Tr0ll, but With0ut h0rns and His skin is A different c0l0ur," Celena replied. "He's Wearing a green Jacket. y0u will Kn0w when y0u see him." She waved her hand. "n0w g0! Find him!"

The troll obliged, running off. Celena cackled, keeping her eye on him.

Finally.

She would win.

June's denizen was sleeping in his chamber. His presence had disturbed the life of the planet he lived on, indeed. The planet, while it was still beautiful, used to be beyond beautiful - it was astounding. Yet so much of the energy was destroyed by the denizen. He was hungry. He couldn't help himself. He had eaten so much of the energy and the various creatures on the planet...

A lack of life… a lack of love… it was all because of him.

The denizen was aware of a presence. Not just any presence. The presence of a human. A human was coming to him.

His human. His player.

Yet why so early? It was not time to wake yet. The human was desperate or had some kind of determined feeling. The denizen could tell.

The denizen slowly opened his yellow eyes. He glanced ahead, seeing empty walls and faint patches of light. He lifted his massive head and stretched his large body. He was a golden colour, with a snake-like body and a bird-like head. A little crest was on his scaly neck. He yawned, revealing two sets of sharp teeth.

His eyes glowed. He stared at a hole in the wall, where the human was expected to appear. The human he would have to fight. The human he may be forced to kill.

And soon, he did appear. June glanced up at his denizen, fear in his eyes. The denizen towered above the young human. June laced his fingers together, shivering. But he kept a smile on his face.

"Welcome, June," the denizen greeted the human. "You must already know what you are here for."

"Y-yeah…" June replied. He glanced at his hands. He nervously clenched his fists.

"Then we shan't waste time," the denizen replied. "Farewell, human."

And Hell began.

"he is Down there," Rozarkalsprite told June. The kids had finally finished going through the Seven Gates. After so long. June was tired of all the travelling and building. He was tired of journeying. So he felt relief. Relief that he could finally get a break.

Well, not a break so much as the beginning of a new journey.

"How do you know?" Kate asked, raising her brow at Rozarkalsprite.

"xBecause I just Do," Rozarkalsprite responded. They twitched. "xyou Hot idiot." They covered their mouth, blushing a bluey-green.

"W-what did you call me?" Kate asked, stepping back.

"nevermind,x" Rozarkalsprite stuttered. June wiggled his eyebrows.

"Something tells me you like my sister." he said, smirking.

"No i dont!" Rozarkalsprite protested. They kept blushing. "kind Of! no Not at all!x"

Kate gave her brother a look. June shrugged, still smirking.

"Anyway," Kate cleared her throat. "We need to focus on getting down to June's denizen."

"we?x" Rozarkalsprite asked.

"Yeah," Kate replied, folding her arms. "You think I'm gonna let my brother face his denizen all by himself?"

"x…. heh," Rozarkalsprite had a dark look on their face. "You Don't have a Choice."

"Excuse me?" Kate asked.

"june Has To fight his Denizen By himself," Rozarkalsprite replied. "xHe is, after All, the only one Who Can understand his Tongue.x"

"No way," Kate growled. "No way will I let my brother fight his denizen by himself."

"You Don't have a choice," Rozarkalsprite responded. "xim Sorry… and Also, Kinda not sorry…"

Kate bared her teeth. She stared at her brother. "June, surely you think this is dumb, right?"

"Yeah…" June looked down. "But… I don't have a choice." He smiled once again. "So why be so down about it? I should enjoy myself. Meeting a denizen could be fun, right?"

"You're crazy…" Kate said, biting her lip. "Crazy."

"you had Better Go and fight your Denizen, thenx" Rozarkalsprite told June. "xBefore you Get too scared."

"Right," June puffed out his chest. He glanced down at the tunnel ahead of him. He turned back and glanced at Rozarkalsprite and Kate. "See ya, guys. Wish me luck."

Kate was shaking her head, her arms crossed. "Don't die."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try not to!" June replied, giving Kate a thumbs up. He twitched.

He had to keep smiling.

"xYou dont need Luck," Rozarkalsprite told June. "you just Need skill. A lot Of skill.x"

"I know," June gulped. He shivered. "I know."

He smiled once more, and finally, began his descent to meet his denizen.

For the whole trip, June felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn't know how to fight. He didn't have the confidence to throw a punch at anyone or anything. This was not going to end well for him. He knew it.

He reached his denizen at last. The creature towered above the young boy, scaring him to no extent. The denizen's deep voice boomed through his ear drums in a strange language only June could understand.

"Welcome, June," the denizen greeted the human. "You must already know what you are here for."

"Y-yeah…" June replied. He glanced at his hands. He nervously clenched his fists.

"Then we shan't waste time," the denizen replied. "Farewell, human."

Fire appeared all around the boy. He began to sweat and breathe heavily. He wondered what Kate would do if she were there. Run away? Fight back? Panic?

"Do we really have to fight?" June asked his denizen. "We can't settle this peacefully?"

"Peace will not settle anything," the denizen replied. "Not here. Not anywhere."

"That isn't true!" June growled.

The denizen ignored him and sent down waves of fire. June jumped out of the way, only burning the back of his jacket.

"I don't get it…" he mumbled. "I… really don't."

June clenched his fists and stood up. He wiped his eyes.

"I won't lose to you!" he bellowed. He charged towards his denizen, holding out his fists. "NOW DIE!"

And then the denizen shot a fiery blast through his chest. June fell to his knees. It was over.

He was dead.


	23. Kate: Bond with Accomplice

Kate: Bond With Accomplice

Kate couldn't help but feel an awful sensation in her chest, like something had gone horribly wrong. The feeling was clouding her thoughts.

"hey hot - Annoying - girl,x" Rozarkalsprite said, appearing in front of Kate. "xYou look worried."

"My brother…" Kate sighed. "I… I'm worried about him…"

"xI cant Blame you," Rozarkalsprite replied. "hes probably already Dead."

"Already dead…?" Kate asked, staring at the sprite with horror in her eyes.

"Well, He Could be,x" Rozarkalsprite said. "maybe. probably."

Kate bared her teeth. "I can't let him stay there if he's dead."

"no you Hot idiot!" Rozarkalsprite growled. "you Can't go After him! youre not Supposed to!x" They blushed. "Ignore The 'hot idiot' part!x"

"You like me in some twisted way," Kate said, wrinkling her nose. "I can tell."

Rozarkalsprite twitched.

"But anyway," Kate clenched her fists. "I don't care whether I'm supposed to go after him or not, because I'll do it anyway. He's my family, my responsibility."

"xwhat's a Family?" Rozarkalsprite asked.

Kate turned away. "I'm going after him."

"xYou're crazy if you Think thats a Good idea." Rozarkalsprite growled.

"Then I'm crazy." Kate replied.

"Seriously," Rozarkalsprite held out their hand. "xnot smart.x"

Kate didn't respond and instead went the way her brother had. Her hair flowed behind her as she sped down the path, looking out for June.

"wait!x" Rozarkalsprite yelled. They sighed. "I'll come Too, then...x"

Rozarkalsprite dashed after the girl.

Kate had reason to be worried, it seemed. Very good reason indeed.

"J… June!" she bellowed. She stared at the corpse of her brother, unable to think. Unable to breathe. She felt sick, empty, hollow… she wasn't prepared to see him dead. She thought there was a small chance he'd still be alive, but…

Kate remembered all the time she'd spent with her brother. Bonding, looking after him, caring for and about him…

"I don't know about this, sis," June admitted, hugging on his sister's leg. He was only small then. Small and innocent,

"You'll be fine," Kate told him. "As long as I'm here."

"But Mom and Dad…" June pouted. Kate ruffled his hair. He didn't wear a cap back then.

"You'll be fine," she said reassuringly. "I'm here for you."

But you weren't here.

A creature somewhat like a snake glared down at her. She glared right back up at him, anger making her heart pump.

"You… you did this…" she growled. "You killed him!"

You took him away.

"i tried To Warn you." Rozarkalsprite said. They sounded bitter and cold. And yet, somewhat sad.

Kate didn't respond to them. She breathed in heavily, trembling.

"How… how could you…?" she asked the denizen. "You… you monster…"

The denizen responded, but Kate couldn't understand what he was saying. She grew more and more furious. She continued to yell.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" she bellowed. "HE WAS MY FAMILY!"

Rozarkalsprite suddenly gasped. "I… i know what To do!x"

"Huh?" Kate asked, staring at them.

"xi Know how we can Bring him Back to Life,x" Rozarkalsprite replied.

"No way," Kate responded, clutching her chest. Her face light up. "Really?"

"i'm Not totally Sure if it will work," Rozarkalsprite admitted. "But if it Does, we can kill Two birds with one stone.x"

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" Kate asked, leaping up with joy. "How do we do it?! How do we save him?!"

"xBring june to his Questbed," Rozarkalsprite explained. "There, he should be Able To resurrect And turn into A god Tier."

"Where's this questbed?" Kate asked, now giddy and full of hope. She kneeled down and picked up her brother's body. Her arms were shaky but her grip was strong.

"xsomewhere on This planet,x" Rozarkalsprite answered. "We'll find it if We look Hard enough."

"And quick enough," Kate said. "He's losing a lot of blood…" She glanced at all the blood on her clothes and flinched. She resisted the urge to vomit. She had to stay strong.

"... red Blood," Rozarkalsprite said, their eye widening. "xhe is… a Mutation."

"Excuse me?" Kate asked.

"no one Had red blood Such as That," Rozarkalsprite mumbled. "aside from… the Signless.x"

"What?" Kate frowned. "Everyone I know has red blood!"

"red blood Is a Human thing, then?" Rozarkalsprite asked. They looked curious. "x… interesting. Humans are…. Interesting.x"

"Anyway, we're wasting time," Kate said, straightening up. "We need to find that questbed!"

She adjusted her brother on her back and took off.

"Come on!" she shouted at Rozarkalsprite. Rozarkalsprite sighed and hurried after her.

Scroas wasn't having the best day. His planet had been taken over by the former ruler, who was somehow more evil than all the regular trolls put together. Scroas was quick to submit to these new changes - violence wasn't in his nature. Even when everyone was wild, he was always the one to attack weakly. Others, however, weren't so flexible. They had caused Celena quite a lot of pain.

Scroas was now on the hunt for a… human. Something that wasn't even a troll. He didn't even know such thing existed! Whatever, Celena wanted that human, and there was nothing Scroas could say to talk her out of her plans. He really wasn't that type of troll.

Scroas had no idea where to start even looking for a human. He asked a few trolls around, but they weren't much help. Most weren't much help.

One told him they had seen two weird-looking 'trolls' going through some hives. A bit of time later, a strange, glowing creature that was somewhat like a troll was also seen. The creature and the other two all disappeared soon after.

Scroas was just confused. He had to go back to his leader.

And that is how he entered a video game.

"xQuest bed...x" Rozarkalsprite said, pointing above. Two large, green pillars were surrounding a yellow slab. Kate ran up there, still holding tightly onto her brother. She was so tired. She just wanted to stop and rest. But this was for her brother. She had no choice if she wanted him to live.

Finally, arriving at the quest bed, Kate put her deceased brother on top of it.

"pray," Rozarkalsprite sighed. "xPray that He is strong enough to Return.x"

Kate and Rozarkalsprite stared at June on the bed. Both of them were so full of hope, yet so worried. Kate was holding back tears. Rozarkalsprite was twitching.

"xRozark and zarkal both Cared About him," Rozarkalsprite sighed. "... he was Really a friend to Them. and to Celena too.x"

"When I meet that Celena…" Kate growled. She sighed. "It won't be pretty."

"xi Can only imagine," Rozarkalsprite smirked. They held their head down. "... im sorry I called you A Hot idiot. you see, Zarkal admired You very Much. he Didn't want rozark, Since she did not Like you quite As much, to Hurt You, So he Prototyped himself with Her to stop that. Now their Feelings of hatred And Love are mixed together.x"

"Oh…" Kate replied. She laughed. "I'm sorry Zarkal, but I'm not interested in dating a dead troll. I'm sure you're - were lovely - but, um… it wouldn't work out."

"Especially since He loved rozark First,x" Rozarkalsprite growled. "they were very Close.x"

"Oh gosh," Kate frowned. "I can only feel bad for her…" She sighed. "I was so mean to you guys… you're not that bad after all. You're… somewhat nice, admittedly." She gave Rozarkalsprite a small smile. They returned it.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Kate and pulled her back. She screamed as she was pulled back against her will.

"kate!x" Rozarkalsprite screamed. But she was gone too quickly for them to see who had taken her. They turned back to the Quest Bed. They felt a surge of panic.

June was gone.


	24. June: Ascend

June: Ascend

June couldn't see anything but white. He felt himself rising, ascending… he didn't know where or why. He couldn't move his body. He could only feel the wind rushing through his hair and his body moving upwards…

Then he arrived… somewhere. A golden place. Light was everywhere. It was somewhat like his planet, but more gold. Strange, white creatures somewhat like humans were all around him. They reminded him of Chess Pieces for some odd reason...

Then… he felt something new. A power racing through his body. He felt himself change, becoming stronger…

June floated up into the air, feeling power racing all around him. His fists were clenched and his heart was racing.

He was hovering in mid-air. His appearance had changed. He was wearing a pale yellow, long-sleeved shirt with dark yellow pants. A dark yellow cloak was attached to his back and yellow boots were on his feet.

June: Knight of Hope

Kate did not like being dragged backwards. She kicked whatever it was that was holding her. She looked behind her and realised it was a troll. A very anxious looking troll with short, smooth hair and horns like a gazelle's. He was wearing a fluffy, black sweater and long, grey pants.

"oh NO," he gasped, eyeing Kate. "i THINK i GRABBED the WRONG human."

"Excuse me?" Kate asked him.

"are YOU june?" Scroas asked the girl.

"No, I'm Kate." Kate responded, narrowing her eyes.

"oh," Scroas blushed purple, looking away. "I didn't KNOW there WAS another HUMAN here…"

"What are you looking for my brother for?" Kate asked suspiciously.

"brother?" Scroas asked. "WHAT'S a BROTHER?"

Kate frowned.

"xkate!" Rozarkalsprite yelled, looking down at their friend. "Are you Okay?x"

"what IS that?!" Scroas asked, staring at Rozarkalsprite.

"That's my friend." Kate growled at the young troll. He flinched at her tone.

"Who's That?" Rozarkalsprite asked, staring at Scroas. "looks like Some punk.x"

"ohhh," Scroas looked and felt so embarrassed. "SORRY. i'm ONLY here BECAUSE of THE empresses' ORDERS."

"The Empress…?" Kate asked.

"xCelena." Rozarkalsprite answered.

"Oh," Kate bit her lip. She frowned. "So Celena wants my brother? She won't get him. He's…" Her expression darkened. "... disappeared."

"Not yet." a voice retorted. Kate looked behind her and saw...

"oh WHOA," Scroas' eyes widened. "is THAT him?"

"June…?" Kate asked. He looked so much different. He was flying, power flowing all around him. "What… what happened to you?"

"hes a God tier Now,x" Rozarkalsprite said. They sounded cheerful. "that Means Its time."

"Time…" Kate grabbed her arms. "Time for what?"

Rozarkalsprite had a dark look on their face. "xtime for june To fight Celena.x"

"Not already!" Kate exclaimed. "H-he probably doesn't even know how to use his powers, o-or whatever he has yet yet!"

"Powers…" June suddenly spoke again. He stopped flying and landed next to his sister. On the ground, he looked more normal. "W-what powers do I have?"

"you're JUNE?" Scroas asked the god tier.

"Yeah, that's me," June replied, focusing on Scroas. "Nice to meet you! Who are you?"

"No one good," Kate growled. "He thought I was you and tried to take me to Celena!"

"Oh," June frowned. He looked away. "I… I guess I understand why." He glanced at Scroas, who looked down at his shoes.

"i FEEL terrible ABOUT this," Scroas admitted guiltily. "I suck AT capturing HUMANS."

"Don't worry about it, buddy," June said reassuringly, patting Scroas' shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. You can hang out with us instead."

"really?" Scroas asked, glee in his voice. "WOW, humans ARE nice! WAY nicer THAN trolls!"

"xIndeed they Are," Rozarkalsprite agreed. "even kate...x"

Kate made a face.

"Anyway," June took a deep breath. "I have powers?"

"yep," Rozarkalsprite replied. "I think you Already Know about Flying, but You also have Immortality and Can't die unless The death is heroic Or Just. and you have Powers related to your Aspects.x"

"Aspects…?" June asked.

"what Is your God tier title?x" Rozarkalsprite asked.

"Um… Knight of Hope, I think…" June replied.

"xhmm," Rozarkalsprite looked curious. "Don't know much About your Powers specifically… But therell be something Cool, somewhere.x"

"And I can beat Celena with them, right?" June asked.

"In Theory.x" Rozarkalsprite replied.

"i AM really CONFUSED." Scroas said, scratching his head.

"It's a long story," Kate informed him. "A very long story."

"where ARE you HUMANS from ANYWAY?" Scroas asked.

"A planet called Earth," Kate answered. "June had made friends with some of the trolls here, somehow. And we just so happened to have a teleporter in our basement."

"that's CUTE," Scroas said. He looked down. "I wish I had FRIENDS."

June grinned at him. "I'll be your friend!"

"really?" Scroas asked. He blushed purple. "THANK you, HUMAN… you ARE too NICE to me…"

"What's your name, buddy?" June asked the flustered troll.

"scroas." Scroas replied, still blushing. "WOW… if EVERY human IS like YOU i WANNA move TO earth."

"Totally do," June agreed. "Earth is the best!"

"June, you barely know this troll," Kate growled at her brother. "He could be a predator!"

"i WOULDN'T call MYSELF a PREDATOR." Scroas said, biting his lip.

"Come on, he's not that bad," June retorted, putting his arm around Scroas' shoulders. "Let's just let him stick around for a bit."

"xIt's very Nice that were Making friends and All, but we Have more important Things to worry about." Rozarkalsprite pointed out.

"Right," June puffed out his chest. He nodded at his new friend. "Once I'm done with your Empress you'll never have to worry about her again, buddy. You'll be a free troll!"

"oh WOW…" Scroas looked so excited. Then anxious. "i DON'T like THE sound OF her DEMISE."

"youre a Wimp,x" Rozarkalsprite said, frowning at Scroas. "You should Be used to death."

"i KNOW, but I hate THE thought OF it…" Scroas sighed. "I'M such A bad TROLL…"

"So far, you're the nicest troll I've met," June informed Scroas. "And trust me, that's a good thing! Everyone on Earth loves nice people."

"... okay." Scroas seemed happy with that.

June flexed. He stared at the sky. "Celena, you better watch out… I'm coming for you."


	25. June and Celena: FIGHT

The sky was a bright orange and the wind was strong. Celena, sitting on her throne on top of a cliff, felt a change in the atmosphere. Something had happened. Changed. But what?

Was it him?

It couldn't be… could it?

There was no way…

Celena stared at the orange sky. She saw something in the distance. She couldn't stop looking at it. What was it? And why did she feel so afraid?

Then, out of nowhere, a blast of power exploded at her feet. She wobbled, tripping over. She looked up at the sky. There was definitely something there.

Someone, more like.

He was floating there. Since when could humans float? A look of determination was in his eyes, and his cape was loosely flowing around him.

June. He looked... different.

Stronger.

… what had he done?

"Celena," he said, his voice powerful. Celena stared at him. "I'm sorry. But it's over now."

Celena dodged another bolt of energy from the human. This one, however, destroyed her precious throne. Celena scowled. She glared up at him.

"n0," she replied, gritting her teeth. "It's definitely N0t."

June was stressing out. He had no idea how to fight a troll queen! Even with his powers, which he barely understood.

"Chill, dude,x" Rozarkalsprite said, waving their hands. "well, Don't actually. then you wont Be prepared. worry a Lot. It'll make you More eager to learn.x"

"You're very helpful, Rozarkalsprite." Kate deadpanned.

"xcant Believe you remembered my Name." Rozarkalsprite commented, raising their brow.

Kate rolled her eyes. She turned to Scroas. "How about you be a good friend and help out my brother?"

"but I know NOTHING about THIS power STUFF!" Scroas commented, waving his hands in the air.

"No one does, not even Rozarkalsprite," Kate replied crossly. "That's why we're trying to learn together."

"i dont Think Scroas even understands the Situation hes in.x" Rozarkalsprite commented with a frown. Scroas tilted his head with confusion.

"I challenged Celena to play a video game with me called Sburb," June informed Scroas. "Whoever wins gets to decide the fate of the whole universe, pretty much. There's this system in the game that allows you to level up to become a God Tier, or a super-powered being. So I became a God Tier using the game because at the moment, it's the only way to stop Celena," He smiled. "That make sense?"

"... i GUESS." Scroas shrugged.

"xTrust me, It goes into a Lot more detail than that." Rozarkalsprite commented. "xJune… y was barely scratching the Surface. but explaining It all would take Too long."

"okay," Scroas replied, still sounding confused. He paused, then stared at June with wide eyes. "YOU really WANT to STOP celena?"

"The whole universe will die otherwise." June bit his lip.

"i KNOW, but…" Scroas looked down. "EVEN if YOU are A 'god TIER' or SOMETHING… do YOU really THINK you CAN beat HER?"

"Even if I can't, I have to try," June replied valiantly. "I'm the last hope, Scroas!"

Last hope…

That made him realise…

His powers…

June floated into the air, holding out his hands. His friends and sister looked up at him. He was glowing gold.

"As the Knight of Hope, I don't have a choice," he said. Energy balls formed around him. "I know I will have to try and try until I die for good."

The balls of energy continued to glow, giving June a very god-like appearance. He gritted his teeth.

"This is the end!" he shouted. He began floating higher and higher. "I will defeat her!"

June knew what he had to do. The kids on the ground stared at him.

It really was the end.

Celena clenched her fists. She felt fire building in them, which she launched at June. The boy flew out of the way. He threw an energy ball at the troll, which missed her but exploded the top part of the cliff. Cracks appeared. June flew around, avoiding Celena's fiery blasts.

"June!" Kate shouted, looking up at the sky to see where her brother was.

"whered he Go?" Rozarkalsprite asked, just as confused.

"don't ASK me!" Scroas replied, sweating.

"Wait, whats that?x" Rozarkalsprite asked, pointing at something in the distance. It looked like fire.

"Fire…" Kate made a face. "There's plenty of that around."

Then there was a scream… a cheer…

They sounded familiar.

"i THINK thats THEM…" Scroas said, raising his brow.

"Then let's get over there!" Kate yelled, running towards the fire. She almost tripped over her cyan skirt. Even so, she kept running. Rozarkalsprite and Scroas could barely keep up.

June fired some more blasts at Celena. She jumped up towards him and threw another blast of fire down. He scrambled out of the way, throwing more energy balls. Celena kept a frown on her face as she and her former best friend continued to fight.

"The thing is," June said, flying around. "I don't want to kill you! I just want you to stop. If you give up, then I won't have to hurt you."

"i sh0uld Be the 0ne saying That," Celena growled. "im the Empress!"

"Yes, but you're also my friend," June said, hovering nearby her. "I still care about you…"

"pfft, Sure." Celena replied mockingly.

"You think I want you to die?" June asked, suddenly bitter. "No! You were the only friend I had for the longest time!" He clenched his fists. "I really cared about you! For a while back there, I acted like I hated you… but I never did. Everything leading up to this has been making me feel… sick. I never wanted to kill you or even hurt you…"

June landed on the ground, his heart racing. His eyes were full of tears. He missed Celena. He missed her kindness. Her sweet smile. Her sweet voice. Her compassion.

He missed the old Celena. He wanted her back. So badly…

"I just want you back!" he roared at his friend. "I just want the old you back! I don't want this horrible queen who wants everyone to die!" He sobbed, falling to his knees. Celena stared at him, a shadow over her face. The boy suddenly stood up.

"That's why I'm here," he said with determination. "I'll save you."

Celena made a face.

"T00 late F0r that." she said darkly, a smirk to go with it. She threw a beam of fire at him. He didn't have time to move out of the way.

June thought of him hugging Celena tightly. That seemed like so long ago…

Yet, the feeling was still there. He realised it…

He loved her. Romantically.

"JUNE!" a voice yelled. Kate.

"an0ther human?" Celena asked darkly.

June couldn't see much. Only… darkness. And...

"IT IS HER!x" another voice screamed, sounding muddled and mixed.

… light?

"help ME…" whimpered a third voice.

"i Guess ill have T0 kill y0u T00." Celena hissed. The other people there yelled furiously in protest. June felt… something. Saw something. It wasn't over yet. He began to glow.

"ReSuRrEcTiOn!xxx" Rozarkalsprite screamed, pointing at June. Everyone stopped and stared at him. Even Celena, who was standing on her shattered throne.

"What?!" the empress roared in fury.

"God Tiers are almost immortal!" June yelled. "You're gonna have to try a lot harder than THAT to stop me!"

Celena growled, fire burning all around her. The flames were orange just like the sky. The cliff was cracking underneath the combined weight of the trolls and humans.

"try Harder?" Celena asked, cocking her head. "Y0u g0t It!"

She blasted a ginormous wave of fire at June. Kate shoved him out of the way, saving his life. Her skirt got slightly burnt.

"Kate," June grumbled at his sister. "Get out of here. You'll get hurt."

"You'll get hurt." Kate protested, folding her arms.

"So what? All heroes do." June sighed.

"June." Kate growled.

"xhe has A point." Rozarkalsprite commented. Kate glared at them. Scroas whimpered and kept hiding behind them.

"... there!" the nervous troll bellowed, pointing at someone. Celena had reappeared, two flames in her hands.

"I'll kill you All if i Have t0!" she screamed.

June looked down. He stood tall, a faint breeze going through his hair. He held onto his baseball cap, which was charred with ash. The cliff cracked ever so slightly.

"Same for you, Celena!" he shouted, flying up into the air despite Kate's protests. He launched a strong energy bolt at the empress, which forced her to crash into the cliff. It cracked even more. Kate and the other two leaped back, apprehensively eyeing the cliff. Celena furiously stood up, summoning a large bolt of fire. She fired it at June, who flew around speedily.

June threw a few more energy bolts at the empress, distracting her. She kept moving out of the way. She almost got him a few times. He held onto his side. He had to be careful.

"JUNE YOU ARE SO GROUNDED WHEN WE GET HOME!" Kate shouted, shaking her fist.

"grounded?" Scroas asked, tilting his head. Kate stared at him with an unamused expression.

Celena turned to June's friends and sister with a wicked smile. She approached them, holding up a flaming fist. Kate stood in front of the other two protectively, bending her knees.

"Get away from us." the human girl demanded.

"xjuney, Help!" Rozarkalsprite exclaimed, their voice going haywire. Scroas began crying.

June flew downwards towards his friends, which was just Celena wanted. As soon as he got close, she grabbed his arm and whammed him into the cliff. His sight went dizzy and his body went limp.

"y0u fell Right int0 it." Celena cackled. She held up a bolt of fire above the human boy's head.

"No!" Kate screamed. She held out her hand, but Rozarkalsprite was pulling her back, shaking their head solemnly. Scroas continued sobbing.

"i DON'T wanna LOOSE my FIRST friend…" he whimpered.

An explosion killed June for a second time. All he could think about now was his love. He loved all his friends… Rozark, Zarkal, his sister… even Scroas…

And Celena, most of all.

June knew it wasn't over yet. He had a plan.

June resurrected for a second time, annoying Celena even further. On the contrary, his friends cheered in delight.

"i STILL have A friend!" Scroas cheered, clapping.

"I told you," June said smugly, folding his arms and glancing at Celena. "It's gonna take a lot to kill me."

Celena bared her sharp teeth and leaped towards the floating human. He jumped out of the way, his hands glowing gold. Celena landed on a leaning tower of rock on the opposite side. June glanced at the cracked cliff she had just been on. He just needed to crack it a little more…

"Yoohoo!" June stood on the cliff, shaking his bottom and waving his arms in the air. "Can't catch me!"

Celena roared and launched another blast of fire at June. The boy flew away just in time. The blast impacted with the cliff, causing it to crack even more. June menacingly rubbed his hands together.

Now he just needed to get the empress underneath the cliff.

… it seemed easier said than done.

The boy flew into the air, flying around speedily and in odd patterns. Celena eyed him dangerously, her hands lit up with hot flames.

Suddenly, June appeared behind her and put his arms around her waist. He, with great difficulty, picked up and carried the empress underneath the cliff. He left her clinging onto the rocky wall with a furious look in her eyes.

"Come and get me from there!" June teased, standing on top of the cliff and making some silly noises. Celena was so furious she threw a blast of fire at the cliff. It began to tremble. She realised her mistake.

June had tricked her back.

June flew up and held onto his friends. Scroas was clinging onto Rozarkalsprite while Kate was holding onto June's arm. The trio watched the cliff fall down and crush the empress. June couldn't help but feel terribly guilty.

Celena let out a final scream as the cliff took her all the way to the ground. She was doomed.

Finally, she had been defeated.

"Oh June…" Kate sighed, as her brother lowered herself and the other two to the ground.

June bit his lip. It didn't really feel like it was over.

Celena… couldn't be gone…

Could she?

It didn't matter. June sobbed either way.

He still loved her.


	26. June: Fall

June: Fall

"it's… OVER?" Scroas asked, clinging onto Rozarkalsprite. They shook him off.

"June…" Kate grabbed her brother's shoulder. He stared at her, a sad look in his eyes.

"Yeah…" he said. "It's over."

"shes dead," Rozarkalsprite said slowly. "Celena is dead.x" They bowed their head. "I Never wanted her To die...x"

June smiled, but his eyes were full of tears. "Neither did I… She was my best friend, after all…" He sniffled. "I didn't even mean to kill her… I… I deserve death… I keep killing people…"

"June come on, you had no choice," Kate argued. "She was going to kill you. Everyone!"

"Still…" June frowned.

"You saved the whole universe," Kate told him. "You should be singing with glee!"

"I know, I know, but…" June wiped his eyes. "I just wanted her back."

"So did I," Rozarkalsprite said. They were trembling. "i miss Her friendship…"

"im… SURE she WOULD'VE missed YOU too…" Scroas said, awkwardly petting Rozarkalsprite's shoulder. Rozarkalsprite gave him a glance.

"Hmm, she doesn't sound very nice from what I've seen," Kate shrugged. "So I'll take your judgement. Still, June, you're a hero! Because of you, we're still here!" She grinned. "That also means we can finally go home!"

"... yeah…" June said, faintly sighing.

"leaving already?x" Rozarkalsprite asked.

"Yes," Kate nodded. "June needs to go back to his planet. This place is way too dangerous. Look at him! He's killed two people! And saved the universe! And he died!"

"But… I kinda like this planet, sis…" June admitted. "I don't know if I wanna leave just yet…"

"June," Kate growled. "You said you would leave as soon as the mission finished."

"I know, but…" June looked away. "These guys are my only friends. I don't have anyone for me back home."

"I don't care, it's dangerous here," Kate grumbled. "June, seriously."

"At least let me give Celena a burial," June said. "And figure out what to do next with this planet. It needs a new leader, right?"

"Not Me," Rozarkalsprite said. "my thinking system Is too chaotic.x"

"Scroas," June looked at the young troll. "How do you feel about being the emperor of this planet?"

"me? EMPEROR?!" Scroas panicked. "i'm NO leader! I'M a WIMP!"

"xbut youre Kind," Rozarkalsprite commented. "And no Leader weve had Has even been Kind.x"

"im NOT kind…" Scroas shook his head. "I'M just A pushover…"

"You are honestly the best troll I've seen so far, aside from when you tried to kidnap me," Kate commented. "As long as you don't do something like that again, you'll be fine."

"i… I dunno…" Scroas frowned.

"xI'll help You Out Best i can." Rozarkalsprite told him. He seemed pleased with that.

"Well," June grinned. "Glad we got that sorted out. Now… now to… deal with this…"

He pointed at the mountain of rocks. He shivered uncomfortably.

"Oh…" Kate also looked uncomfortable. "If it's too hard for you, June…"

"No," June sighed. "I'm the best one to do it. She was my friend, after all."

"Alright…" Kate nodded at her brother. He moved towards the pile of rocks. He bowed down and pulled something out of his back pocket.

A picture of Celena. She had sent it to him years ago, when they first met.

"Goodbye, Celena…" he sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

June made a small cross on the ground and stuck the image in the dirt. He held his hat to his chest, gritting his teeth. The wind blew through his hair.

"I love you…" he mumbled. "Goodbye."

Then the rocks exploded with bright orange flames. A mangled figure crawled out, her arms up in the air. June couldn't believe it.

"y0u... Really th0ught i Was dead?" Celena cackled, glaring at June. Her glasses were smashed and brown blood was dripping out of her side.

"You're… still alive…" June gasped. He felt relieved yet also terrified. Kate clenched her fists. The troll hid behind the sprite.

"yes," Celena chuckled. "n0w i Will kill Y0u."

Before she could, however, an army of trolls appeared, angrily holding up their fists. They were glaring at the ruler. They charged towards her before she could say another word. Voices yelled about a rebellion and a democracy. Celena roared at the trolls, but there were too many of them and not enough of her.

"What on Earth?!" Kate exclaimed.

"we've BEEN saved!" Scroas cheered, wiping his eyes.

"the Trolls were rebelling,x" Rozarkalsprite shook their head with admiration. "i should've Guessed this Would happen."

"Rebellion…" June shook his head. "I wasn't expecting that."

The trolls roared in fury as they jumped all over Celena, bringing her to the ground. She was dragged away with them, screaming in pain.

"...x" Rozarkalsprite had no more words. Everyone simply watched the event continue, all mystified.

"... i'm SCARED…" Scroas admitted.

"That's no good, Emperor!" June said, turning around. His smile was forced. "You need to be strong and confident to lead your people."

Scroas made an indescribable noise as he continued to hide behind the sprite. They sighed.

"Now can we go home?" Kate asked.

"Yep," June replied. Then he passed out.


	27. Humans: Farewell

Humans: Farewell

June glanced at his hands…

The end…

The end was finally here.

"xyoure Leaving?" Rozarkalsprite asked him.

"Yeah," June sighed. "I mean, I was getting a little homesick. A little," He frowned. "But I'll miss this place too."

"I DON'T even KNOW you THAT well BUT ill MISS you TOO." Scroas admitted.

"You're the Emperor now," June told him. "Make me proud."

"i'll TRY!" Scroas cheered, though he was slightly nervous. June couldn't blame him.

"Come on," Kate folded her arms. "Let's go, June. I've had enough of this place anyway."

"I thought you Liked me.x" Rozarkalsprite grumbled.

"I do, but I like my responsibilities more," Kate retorted. "And right now, my main responsibility is getting my brother and I home safely."

June sighed. His sister really hadn't changed.

"well... if You're really going then...x" Rozarkalsprite sighed, waving their hand. "See Ya."

"Bye." June said, smiling at them. He gave Scroas a small hug, then was dragged off by his sister. A pain was in his chest.

Memories flashed before his eyes…

His heart was pounding.

"..." June frowned. "I don't… I… don't want to leave yet."

"What?" Kate asked, giving him a look.

"They're… they're my friends," June said. "I… I want to stay with my friends."

"June, that's crazy," Kate scolded. "I know you're attached to them, but you're an Earthling. You belong back on Earth, with me."

"No," June replied. "You're the one that belongs on Earth. You fit in there. I'm… better here. I can help these trolls." He looked at his hands. "Scroas will need my help being an Emperor. And Rozarkalsprite… they need help as well."

"June…" Kate stared at him. Her eyes were full of emotion. "You…"

"Please…" June reached forward and hugged her. "I love you, Kate, but... I need to stay here with my friends."

"You can't…" Kate grumbled. Tears were forming in her eyes.

"xwait, youre Staying?" Rozarkalsprite asked, looking over at the humans. Their eyes widened with joy.

"Yeah," June replied. "I wanna help you guys!"

"No…" Kate gritted her teeth.

"then You should be Emperor," Rozarkalsprite said. "You have more leadership Skills.x"

"Me…?" June asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah," Rozarkalsprite nodded. "xYou're a natural Leader. youd be a Great emperor."

"Me… Emperor of Alternia…" June almost couldn't believe it.

"(We Don't have anyone Else…)x" Rozarkalsprite muttered under their breath.

"This is ridiculous," Kate growled. "My brother isn't an emperor!"

"i didn't Say he Was,x" Rozarkalsprite said. "I just said He'd be a good Emperor.x"

Kate clenched her fists. She was trembling.

"June…" she sighed. "Is this really what you want?"

"Yes," June replied. His sister's lip trembled.

"Fine…" she said, pouting. "Stay here, then." She walked off, briefly looking back. "Goodbye, June." Her tone was indifferent.

"Bye, sis…" he said. The siblings stared at each other for a few moments. Kate almost looked like she was about to say something, but she turned away and kept walking.

And June's new life had begun. Everything this journey had been leading up to now…

Celena…

Rozark…

Zarkal…

Scroas…

Kate…

Memories flashed through his mind. Bonding with his friends, when they were still alive. Their smiles, their kindness. Now they were all gone. All he had left was a fusion of two old ones and a new friend. Was this really how it ended…? This was his new life? Would it have been better if he just stayed on Earth?

June decided one thing. He couldn't let anyone else die.

June looked up at the sky, tears in his eyes. The end was here.

And Alternia had found its saviour.

THE END


End file.
